Sudden price hike of food items hits masses hard

Rawalpindi

There is neither flood nor drought but inflation ratio of the daily-use items has increased over 100 per cent while prices of some food items have jumped by almost 200 per cent within five days.

Meanwhile, claims of city district government, Rawalpindi have proved nothing as price magistrates and assistant commissioners could not be seen in weekly bazaars as well as open market to check the practice of overcharging.

The ‘chicken’ prices have gone up to over 100 per cent to Rs300 per kilogram (meat) against Rs150 five days back. Buying meat is a big dream for public as mutton is being sold at Rs800 and beef at Rs480 per kilogram. Similarly, tomato prices have jumped to over 200 per cent as they are being sold at Rs140 against Rs40 per kilogram.

Similarly, low quality onion is selling at Rs180 against Rs120, cabbage at Rs50 against Rs25, lady finger at Rs120 against Rs60, capsicum at Rs100 against Rs40, garlic at Rs320 and bitter gourd at Rs120 against Rs50 in the vegetable market.

All Pakistan Jamiat-ul-Quresh Meat Welfare Association President Khurshid Qureshi has admitted that butchers are selling mutton at Rs800 and beef at Rs480. He said that government should immediately stop sending meat to other countries otherwise meat prices will further increase. Meat prices are already out of reach of a common man and this practice is worsening the situation, he denounced.

While talking to ‘The News’ people belonging to different walks of life strongly condemned price hike without any reason.

Shazia Noreen, a housewife said that buying chicken was easy than meat but its price has also gone up suddenly to over 100 per cent. Some days back, 1-kilogram chicken was available at Rs150 but now it is selling at Rs300 per kilogram which was totally unaffordable for a poor man, she said.

Shabbir Ahmed, a government employee said that the price hike had made it impossible for the common man to run his kitchen. He said that buying food items has become a big dream for a common man because of skyrocketing rates. He said that government has totally failed to control inflation in open market. The local management is totally helpless before profiteers and hoarders, he denounced.

Bashir Ahmed, a poor man said that it was impossible to buy tomato for me because its prices unaffordable. Some three days back, 1-kilogram tomato was selling at Rs40 but now at Rs140. Nobody was present to ask the big difference of this price hike in some days, he denounced.

Rawalpindi-Islamabad Vegetable Wholesale Market Association Joint Secretary Fayyaz Khan said that we are facing shortage of tomato and some of other vegetables therefore prices soaring day-by-day.

The reliable sources said that profiteers and hoarders have created an artificial shortage of food items only to earn more and more profit. The profiteers and hoarders have tones of tomato and other of vegetables in cold storages. All cold storages in Rawalpindi and Islamabad are packed with food items and seasonal fruits but concerned authority taking deep slumber seeing the whole drama with closed eyes, the sources said.

Although the shopkeepers were of the view that they had nothing to do with the price hike and argued that the prices had increased in the wholesale market.

Assistant Commissioner (Rawalpindi) Tasneem Ali Khan said that they issue price list to shopkeepers on daily basis. He was also surprised on sudden price fluctuation in five days and said that he will take action against it. He has also assured raids on profiteers, he claimed.