Profiteers rule the roost

Rawalpindi:It seems that the profiteers have been given a free hand to loot the public with both hands because a common man has literally failed to run his kitchen due to an unprecedented price hike. All kitchen items are selling at skyrocketing prices, but the concerned authorities are only doing lip service to console the public instead of taking remedial measures. Before Eid-ul-Azha, the prices of ghee increased by Rs15 to Rs40 per kilogram and ‘atta’ prices went up by Rs100 on a 20-kilogram bag. It seems that we are living in a ‘banana’ state because not a single government minister is giving any kind of reaction against ever-increasing prices of all kitchen items.

Without any fear, the government itself was increasing prices of petrol, LPG, ghee, ‘atta’, sugar, and all other items openly.The government-run utility stores have been without ‘atta’, ghee, and sugar because mill owners refused to provide these items at old prices. The poor segment of society are running from pillar to post to buy ‘atta’, ghee, sugar, and other edible items at low prices but in vain. Over 80 percent of retail shopkeepers have stopped selling sugar over the fear of arrest here on Sunday. The Sunday Bazaars also failed to provide relief to the public because 1-kilogram branded ghee was selling at Rs330 against Rs305, normal quality ghee at Rs290 against Rs270, a 20-kilogram ‘atta’ bag was selling at Rs1100 to Rs1180 and 1-kilogram sugar was selling at Rs110. Some key post officers from Utility Store Corporation (USC) on condition of anonymity said that flour mill owners have refused to provide 20-kilogram bag atta at Rs800, sugar mill owners have refused to provide 1-kilogram sugar at Rs68 and ghee mill owners have refused to provide ghee, and cooking oil at low prices.