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Thursday March 28, 2024

No trickle down effect for public in sight so far

Rawalpindi The government has reduced the petrol price by Rs43 per litre in five months from Rs113 to Rs70. A big relief indeed! However, the local authorities have not issued a notification to lower down prices of kitchen items. On the other hand, the Punjab Transport Authority (PTA) has issued

By Khalid Iqbal
February 03, 2015
Rawalpindi
The government has reduced the petrol price by Rs43 per litre in five months from Rs113 to Rs70. A big relief indeed! However, the local authorities have not issued a notification to lower down prices of kitchen items. On the other hand, the Punjab Transport Authority (PTA) has issued a notification with regard to reduction in transport fares by Rs1 to Rs3 after cut in the petrol price.
The government announced reduction in petrol price by Rs7.99 per litre
and diesel by Rs5.62 per litre with effect from February 1, 2015.
District Regional Transport Authority (DRTA) Secretary Owais Manzoor Tarar said: "We have cut down fares by Rs1 (stop-to-stop) and Rs3 (last distance).
Earlier, whenever the prices of petroleum products were increased, the
wholesale dealers and retailers increased their prices without any delay, but now despite such a massive cut in POL products there was no sign of price reduction in the same proportion.
Whereas the tall claims of DCO (Rawalpindi) Sajid Zafar dashed to the ground, who in December 2014, fixed rates of one litre milk at Rs70, ‘roti’ at Rs6 and ‘naan’ at Rs7, mutton at Rs480 and beef Rs280, but still shopkeepers were charging the same old rates.
The government has strictly directed local managements to look into the matter to provide maximum relief to public due to cut in POL prices.
But, the local management has given a free hand to shopkeepers to loot public as per routine.
It was observed that when the price of petrol was Rs113 per litre five months ago, mutton was sold for Rs600 to Rs650 per kilogram, beef for Rs Rs350-400, milk at Rs85-100 per litre and yoghurt at Rs90 per kilogram. However, these items are being sold at the same prices. The prices of branded items like packed milk are increasing every month and there is no check on their prices.
Similarly, all kinds of vegetables are available at old prices as one kilogram of tomatoes are being sold for Rs60, cabbage at Rs50, ‘Shimla mirch’ at Rs160, carrot at Rs30, potato at Rs30-35, onion at Rs30-35 and peas at Rs60 (all rate being followed for last two months).
Similarly, as per routine, rice is being sold at the rate of Rs150 per kilogram, all kinds of washing powders, soaps, red chilli, salt packet, matchbox, biscuits, bread and other items are being sold at old prices.
All kinds of fruits like oranges are being sold at
Rs100-150 per dozen and bananas at Rs60 per dozen, apples at Rs100-150 per kilogram and guava at Rs100 per kilogram.
“Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has time and again asked provincial governments to take steps to control prices at their end, but it seems the concerned authorities are taking his orders lightly,” said a disgruntled housewife, Zaib-un-Nisa, resident of Mohanpura. She said that why the local management is not taking the matter seriously, why price magistrates are not visiting markets and ‘mandis’ to control rates.
Muhammad Mukhtar, a resident of Adiala Road, said that no doubt the government has cut down POL rates by Rs43 in five months, but local managements are not acting upon the directions of the prime minister.
Shopkeepers are selling all items as per routine at higher rates, while local management is seeing the whole drama with closed eyes, he said. “At the moment, it seems that only people who have either cars or motorcycles are getting benefit of cut in prices of petroleum products, whereas public is left gasping,” he added.
Additional District Collector (ADC) Muhammad Arif Raheem told ‘The News’ that he has constituted special
teams to monitor markets for controlling inflation. “Monitoring teams will check
markets in shifts and take strict action against violators,” he warned.