Stern action against profiteers, hoarders planned during Ramazan

398 FIRs registered and fine worth Rs1.741 million imposed on 812 profiteers during April-May

Rawalpindi

As the city district government, Rawalpindi has planned to take stern action against profiteers and hoarders the profiteers on the other hand are flexing their muscle to earn more and more profit in the holy month of Ramazan.

Meanwhile, the local management has registered 398 FIRs and imposed fine of Rs1.741 million against 812 profiteers during April-May. This action is the direct warning to profiteers and hoarders to live within their boundaries otherwise they will visit to Adiala Jail to spend the holy month of Ramazan in this regard.

On the other hand, privately run cold storages in twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad have been hoarded with fruits where hoarders and profiteers have stockpiled fruits to loot public in the holy month of Ramazan.

A big platoon of price magistrates included assistant commissioner (Cant), assistant commissioner (City), assistant commissioner (Saddar), assistant district collector revenue (ADCR) and assistant district collector general (ADCG) are working under the chairmanship of deputy commissioner Talat Gondal. Total 30 price magistrates will work in Ramazan to take action against profiteers and hoarders to provide maximum relief of public.

According to Assistant District Collector Revenue (ADCR) spokesman Qaser Mehmood, there will be total 16 Ramazan Sasta Bazaars in Rawalpindi in which 5 Sasta Bazaars will be established in city areas, 3 Sasta Bazaars in district council areas, 2 in cantonment board areas while 1 Sasta Bazaar in each tehsil. The big platoon of price magistrates will not only look after Ramazan Sasta Bazaars but open market shops as well to take action against profiteers and hoarders during Ramazan.

According to a survey conducted by ‘The News’ profiteers are buying fruits in tones on cheaper prices and have planned to sell them on skyrocketing rates during Ramazan, but the city district government, Rawalpindi is watching the whole drama with closed eyes and has given profiteers free hand to hoard fruits in large quantity.

The city district government, Rawalpindi has completely abandoned addressing public related issues as so-called price magistrates are not visiting markets to monitor profiteers and hoarders these days.

The profiteers and hoarders have increased prices of all fruits skyrocketing as 1-kilogram apple is selling at Rs250-300 against Rs200, banana at Rs150-200 against Rs100, water melon at Rs30 against Rs20 per kilogram, guava at Rs150 against Rs80, peach at Rs200 against Rs100 and dates at Rs200 against Rs150 per kilogram. Similarly, prices of all vegetables particularly onion and potato are selling on higher prices.

The profiteers and hoarders are flexing their muscles to loot public by hoarding different fruits like apples, dates, guava, peach, banana, grapes, ‘loquat’, apricot etc in cold storages to sell them on skyrocketing prices during Ramazan. The hoarders have also packed their store houses with potato sacks and lemon which are widely used in Ramazan.

Assistant Commissioner (Rawalpindi) Tasneem Ali Khan said that they have chalked out a plan to control price hike in the holy month of Ramadan. ”We will never spare profiteers and hoarders at any cost,” he warned. He said that we have sent 398 profiteers and hoarders to Adiala Jail during April and May. “This is a direct warning to the looters,” he added.

The poor belonging to different walks of life strongly condemned profiteers and hoarders for increasing prices of all food items particularly fruits in open market.

The multinational companies have increased ghee of all brands by Rs20 to Rs30 per kilogram and selling 1-kilogram ghee at Rs180 against Rs155 and similarly prices of milk and yogurt have also shot up by Rs10, they denounced.

Muhammad Imran Malik, a poor man from Defense Road said that milkmen are selling 1-liter milk at Rs110 against Rs100 and yogurt at Rs120 against Rs110.

Rabia Tabasum, a poor lady said it seems that there was no government writ in the society as I bought 1-kilogram apple at Rs120 some five days back but now same quality apple selling at Rs250. “We hope local management will control ever-increasing price hike at least in Ramazan,” she hoped.