Hike in POL prices dent monthly budgets heavily

Rawalpindi : Prices of petroleum products, unstable dollar rates, Liquefied petroleum gas rates, electricity and natural gas tariffs, taxes, and ever-increasing inflation have broken the back of a common man who was not been able to purchase vegetables for three times meal and the monthly budget of the people has been dented heavily because government officials continuously showing non-serious behaviour.

The local and long route transporters including goods transporters have increased fares on their own after hiking in petrol prices. The long routes and good transporters have increased fares by 10 per cent while local transporters increased fares by Rs5 stop-to-stop charging Rs20 against Rs15 stop-to-stop fare for the past two days.

Regional Transport Authority (RTA) Secretary Muhammad Rashid Ali said that he has received some complaints hikes in fares by local transporters. “I will take strict action because transporters could not increase fare at their will,” he warned.

The hike in rates of petroleum products has started taking its toll on the lives of the common man who has to bear its brunt in the shape of rising prices of all items particularly kitchen items and transportation.

Some two days back, The PTI government has once again increased the prices of petrol by Rs4 per litre and that of high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs2 per litre. The prices of kerosene oil and light diesel oil (LDO) were increased by Rs7.05 and Rs8.82 per litre respectively.

The government also increased the prices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by Rs2403.5 per cylinder mounting inflationary pressures on the economy.

After increasing POL prices and dollar prices, people are buying 1-kilogram sugar at Rs110, milk at Rs130, mutton at Rs1500, beef at Rs700, rice at Rs200, tomato at Rs60, onion at Rs50, potato at Rs50, a 20-kilogram ‘atta’ bag at Rs1350, 1-kilogram ghee at Rs350, garlic at Rs250, ginger at Rs400, 1-kilogram tea pack at Rs910, red chili at Rs500, chicken at Rs360 and prices of all vegetable and pulses touching to the sky.

‘The News’ conducted a survey here in ‘Sunday Bazaars’ and utility stores and retail shops in open markets where all kinds of washing powders, soaps, dry milk, lemon max, shoe polish, toffees, noodles, chocolate, red chili, catch up and all other items have increased its prices.

All Pakistan Traders Association (Punjab) President Shirjeel Mir has said that the monthly budget of the people has been dented heavily but government ministers continuously showing non-serious behaviour. The government is continuously increasing POL prices while our rupee devaluing for over three years. Only the public is facing bad impacts of increasing POL prices and dollar rates, he said.

The common citizens named Shahryar Hussain, Asma Saeed, Muhammad Irfan, Shahzad Ahmed, Ahsen Iqbal, Bilal Ahmed, Sajid Mehmood, Norin Kausar and several others said that it was the worst time in the country’s history when the government imposed heavy taxes in line with its agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has badly ruined the living standard of a common man for three years. The government is following the directions of IMF and imposing ever-increasing inflation over the public, they bemoaned.