Items sold at high rates at Sunday bazaars

LAHORE: The district administration has failed to implement Punjab Chief Secretary Yousaf Naseem’s directions for ensuring sale of edibles and perishable items at officially fixed rates, The News has learnt.

The chief secretary had chaired a meeting on price control and ordered a stern action against profiteers, hoarders and the elements behind artificial inflation and keeping a check on shopkeepers and wholesalers to stabilise prices. But his order was ignored in open markets and even in makeshift markets which are established under the supervision of government officials. In open markets no perishable items was sold at official rates while in makeshift markets almost all available items were sold at higher rates than the official rates. A number of seasonal vegetables were not sold at makeshift markets on account of wrong pricing as claimed by the sellers and they sold these missing items at higher rates. Further, B and C-grade vegetables were sold at A-grade rates and no A-grade vegetables were sold there too.

Previous weeks, potato soft skin was not available in city shops and makeshift markets. But the price of this variety was issued in the price list to give plea to the sellers to sell store variety of potato at higher rates of potato soft skin rates.

The price of potato soft skin new was fixed at Rs 36 to 38 per kg, not available there, and potato sugar free at Rs 22 to 23 per kg, and potato store was fixed at Rs 16 to 17 per kg, while it was sold at Rs 38 per kg as market committee issued Rs 38 per kg rate for it.

This week official price of onion was stable at Rs 50 to 52 per kg, rain-hit mixed variety was mixed and sold at Rs 52 per kg and A-grade was not available in the market. The price of tomato was gained by Rs 5 per kg, fixed at Rs 43 to 45 per kg. The price of lemon was reduced by Rs 2 per kg, fixed at Rs 90 to 93 per kg, sold at Rs 100 per kg.

Garlic local was fixed at Rs 139 to 144 per kg, sold at Rs 180 per kg, garlic hernaiy gained by Rs 10 per kg, fixed at Rs 186 to 191 per kg, sold at Rs 200 to 220 per kg and garlic Chinese reduced by Rs 11 per kg, fixed at Rs 206 to 212 per kg, not sold there on pricing issue. Ginger Chinese was reduced by Rs 47 per kg, fixed at Rs 273 to 279 per kg, lower quality was sold at Rs 300 to 320 per kg, while good quality was sold in open markets at Rs 400 per kg.

Brinjal was fixed at Rs 24 to 26 per kg, sold at Rs 40 per kg.

Cucumber farm was gained by Rs 5 per kg, fixed at Rs 43 to 45 per kg, sold at Rs 70 per kg, and local variety was gained by Rs 6 per kg, fixed at Rs 34 to 36 per kg, sold at Rs 80 per kg.

Biter gourd local was gained by Rs 27 per kg, fixed at Rs 71 to 74 per kg, sold at Rs 80 per kg.

Spinach was fixed at Rs 18 to 19 kg, sold at Rs 30 per kg.

Zucchini local was gained by Rs 16 per kg, fixed at Rs 62 to 64 per kg, sold at Rs 80 per kg.

Cauliflower was further gained by Rs 5 per kg, fixed at Rs 62 to 65 per kg, not sold, and cabbage reduced by Rs 10 per kg, fixed at Rs 40 to 42 per kg, sold at Rs 50 per kg.

Pumpkin was increased by Rs 14 per kg, fixed at Rs 44 to 46 per kg, sold at Rs 50 per kg and pumpkin long was sold at Rs 80 per kg.

Luffa was gained by Rs 8 per kg, fixed at Rs 33 to 35 per kg, sold at Rs 40 to 50 per kg.

Lady finger was increased by Rs 13 per kg, fixed Rs 43 to 45 per kg, not sold there.

Arum was fixed at Rs 54 to 56 per kg, sold at Rs 80 per kg.

Green chili price fixed at Rs 50 to 52 per kg, sold Rs 80 per kg. Capsicum gained by Rs 11 per kg, fixed at Rs 83 to 86 per kg, sold at Rs 100 per kg.

Carrot was reduced by Rs 13 per kg, fixed at Rs 32 to 34 per kg, sold at Rs 40 per kg and carrot local was sold at Rs 80 per kg. Coriander was fixed at Rs 160 per kg, sold at Rs 200 per kg. Beans were fixed at Rs 70 to 73 per kg, sold at Rs 200 per kg. Mangoes (Pickle) unripe fixed at Rs 36 to 38 per kg, not sold there.

The price of different variety of apples was fixed at Rs 64 to 114 per kg, B-grade sold at Rs 110 per kg and A-grade at Rs 130 per kg.

The price of Banana A-category was fixed at Rs 61 to 63 per dozen and B-category was fixed at Rs 45 to 47 per dozen, sold at Rs 60 per dozen, while A-category was not available.

Papaya was fixed at Rs 97 to 100 per kg, not sold there.

Sweet fruit was fixed at Rs 112 to 117 per dozen, not sold on pricing issue. Different variety of mangoes was fixed at Rs 69 to 122 per kg, sold at Rs 80 to 150 per kg.

Peach A-category fixed at Rs 155 to 160 per kg, and B-category at Rs 76 to 79 per kg, and it sold at Rs 130 per kg while A-category was not available there. Apricot white was gained by Rs 17 per kg, fixed at Rs 162 to 167 per kg, sold at Rs 180 per kg. Plump was gained by Rs 15 per kg, fixed at Rs 150 to 155 per kg, and B-category was fixed at Rs 90 to 92 per kg, sold at Rs 150 per kg while A-category was not sold there.

Cantaloupe/rockmelon was fixed at Rs 30 to 58 per kg, lower quality sold at Rs 60 per kg. Pomegranate local was fixed at Rs 120 to 124 per kg, not sold in makeshift markets.

Grapes black was fixed at Rs 130 to 135 per kg with an increase of Rs 6 per kg, not sold, Grapes sunderkhani at Rs 172 to 177 per kg with an increase of Rs 15 per kg, sold at Rs 200 per kg and Grapes Gola at Rs 98 to 101 per kg with an increase of Rs 10 per kg, sold at Rs 120 per kg.