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Tuesday March 19, 2024

No relief from high prices at Sunday bazaars

By Jawwad Rizvi
August 19, 2019

LAHORE: Escalating prices of perishable items and open violations of price list across the city have exposed the priorities of the government to provide relief to the masses from inflationary pressures.

The writ of the government is being challenged by both the sellers and the stockists who are artificially increasing the rates of fruits and vegetables while the institutions for checking prices seemingly exist nowhere. The district and provincial governments are keeping their eyes close on the pricing issue and the elected representatives and the ministers who do ‘photo session visits’ to Sunday and other bazaars are also not taking action against spiralling prices. Only the government’s commitment is required to control price-hike through proper administrative measures and policy decisions. However, the PTI’s government does not show any interest in checking the prices.

This week again overcharging was recorded on a number of vegetables and fruits including potatoes, garlic, brinjal, cabbage, cucumber and others while ginger, cauliflower, arum, spinach and other vegetables were not sold at Sunday Bazaars. Similarly, a number of fruits were not sold including pomegranate, papaya, and guava on account of wrong pricing issue while B-grade variety of the remaining fruits were sold at A-grade rates.

Further, likewise previous weeks, potato soft skin was not available in any shop in the city and makeshift markets too. But the price of this variety was issued in the price list to give plea to the sellers to sell store variety of potatoes at higher rates of potato soft skin rates.

The price of potato soft skin was fixed at Rs 38 to 40 per kg, not available there, and potato sugar free at Rs 22 to 23 per kg, while it sold at Rs 40 per kg as market committee issued Rs 40 per kg rate to it.

This week official price of onion further gained by reached at Rs 50 to 52 per kg, rain hit mixed variety was mixed sold at Rs 52 per kg and A-grade was not available there.

The price of tomato was reduced after Eid and come down to Rs 38 to 40 per kg.

The price of lemon was fixed at Rs 92 to 95 per kg, sold at Rs 120 per kg.

Garlic local was fixed at Rs 150 to 155 per kg, sold at Rs 180 per kg, garlic hernaiy at Rs 176 to 181 per kg, sold at Rs 200 per kg and garlic Chinese fixed at Rs 218 to 223 per kg, sold at Rs 250 to 280 per kg.

Ginger Chinese was further increased to Rs 320 to 326 per kg with an increase of Rs 50 per kg, but not sold there while in open markets sold at Rs 400 per kg.

Brinjal was fixed at Rs 23 to 25 per kg, sold at Rs 30 per kg.

Cucumber farm was fixed at Rs 38 to 40 per kg, sold at Rs 60 per kg, and local at Rs 28 to 30 per kg, not sold.

Biter gourd local was fixed at Rs 45 to 47 per kg, sold at Rs 50 per kg.

Spinach was fixed at Rs 17 to 18 kg, not sold on pricing issue.

Zucchini local was fixed at Rs 47 to 49 per kg, sold at Rs 60 per kg.

Cauliflower was further gained by Rs 3 per kg, fixed at Rs 58 to 60 per kg, not sold, and cabbage by Rs 4 per kg, fixed at Rs 50 to 52 per kg, sold at Rs 60 per kg.

Pumpkin was increased by Rs 7 per kg, fixed at Rs 30 to 32 per kg, sold at Rs 35 per kg and pumpkin long was sold at Rs 80 per kg.

Luffa was gained by Rs 5 per kg, fixed at Rs 25 to 27 per kg, sold at Rs 30 per kg.

Lady finger was reduced by Rs 12 per kg, fixed Rs 30 to 32 per kg, not sold there.

Arum was fixed at Rs 52 to 54 per kg, not sold due to pricing issue.

Green chili price fixed at Rs 48 to 50 per kg, sold Rs 80 per kg.

Capsicum fixed at Rs 72 to 75 per kg, sold at Rs 100 per kg.

Carrot was gained by Rs 5 per kg, fixed at Rs 45 to 47 per kg, sold at Rs 50 per kg.

Coriander was fixed at Rs 200 per kg, sold at Rs 400 per kg.

Beans were fixed at Rs 68 to 70 per kg, sold at Rs 200 per kg.

Mangoes (Pickle) unripe fixed at Rs 34 per kg, sold at Rs 60 per kg.

The price of different variety of apples was fixed at Rs 72 to 108 per kg, B-grade sold at Rs 100 per kg and A-grade at Rs 130 per kg.

The price of Banana A-category was fixed at Rs 60 to 62 per dozen and B-category was fixed at Rs 42 to 44 per dozen, sold at Rs 60 per dozen, while A-category was not available.

Papaya was fixed at Rs 92 to 95 per kg, not sold there.

Different variety of mangoes was fixed at Rs 62 to 104 per kg, sold at Rs 80 to 150 per kg.

Peach A-category fixed at Rs 122 to 126 per kg, mixed quality was sold at Rs 120 per kg. Apricot white was fixed at Rs 146 to 150 per kg, not sold there.

Plump was fixed at Rs 136 to 140 per kg, not sold there.

Cantaloupe/rockmelon was fixed at Rs 32 to 57 per kg, lower quality sold at Rs 57 per kg.

Pomegranate local was fixed at Rs 120 to 124 per kg, not sold in makeshift markets.

Grapes black was fixed at Rs 125 to 129 per kg, not sold, Grapes sunderkhani at Rs 160 to 165 per kg, sold at Rs 200 per kg and Grapes Gola at Rs 88 to 91 per kg, sold at Rs 120 per kg.

Peer was fixed at Rs 67 to 70 per kg, sold at Rs 80 per kg.