The prices of food items including vegetables and fruits increased by 20 to 50 percent in spite of tall claims of controlling the price hike by the district government during the holy month of Ramazan. The district administration set up Sasta bazaars to provide relief to the consumers but these bazaars and utility stores failed to provide required relief.
People expressed their concerns over the spiralling hike in prices of daily use commodities especially food items even during the holy month of Ramazan. They opined that the mechanism adopted by the administration to control the hike through special magistrate failed to yield reselects as they magistrate miserably failed to control the big hoarders.
During a survey on Thursday people told the Business Recorder that the district administration was reluctant to maintain the price mechanism and had passed the responsibility on to the ineffective price control committee. It was found that retailers had increased prices of vegetables and fruits by 30 to 50 per cent.
Tomato, potato and onion were being sold at Rs 40, Rs 28 and Rs 28 per kg against Rs 28, Rs 20 and Rs 14 per kg, respectively before Ramazan. Tea is being sold at Rs 280 per kg against Rs 230 per kg price of pre-Ramazan. The prices of gourd and lady finger was raised from Rs 20 per kg to Rs 35 and Rs 40 per kg. Lemon and green chillies are being sold at Rs 50 and Rs 60 per kg.
Similarly, beef is being sold at Rs 120 to Rs 140 per kg against the earlier rate of Rs 100, mutton from Rs 260 to Rs 280 per kg against Rs 250, while milk is being sold at Rs 32 to Rs 36 per liter. Repeated attempts to contact DCO and price control committee members failed, as they were not available for comments.