Ghee, oil prices shoot up

Rawalpindi

Ghee, sugar and pulses have become out of reach and unaffordable items for a common man as wholesale dealers increased Rs15 to Rs25 on 1-kilogram ghee and cooking oil while Rs4 per kilogram on sugar. Similarly, buying pulses has become a dream for poor as all pulses are being sold on skyrocketing rates.

Public alleged that price control committee and price control magistrates don’t visit markets which has allowed traders looters to loot the public with both hands. This claim was however denied by Special Price Magistrate Malik Noor Zaman who told ‘The News’ that they were continuously visiting markets to control inflation. He also claimed that they were not only visiting markets but also registering FIRs against profiteers. 

The wholesale dealers of ghee have increased prices by Rs15 to Rs25 per kilogram while the wholesale dealers of sugar have increased price of 1 kilogram of sugar by Rs4 from Rs58 to Rs62.

All Pakistan Sugar Wholesale Dealers Association Chairman Haji Fazal said that sugar mills have increased rates of 50-kilogram sugar sack to Rs3100 against Rs2900. We were providing 1-kilogram sugar at Rs54 to retailers but retailers after adding Rs4 profit and selling 1-kilogram sugar at Rs58 but now they are selling it at Rs62, he claimed.

Rawalpindi Ghee and Cooking Oil Wholesale Dealers Association senior representative Munir Ahmed Shaikh also admitted an increase in prices of all brands of ghee and cooking oil by Rs15 to Rs25 and some of brands even by Rs30 per kilogram.

Similarly, in complete disregard to price list issued by District Price Control Committee, all pulses are being sold at higher rates as 1-kilogram ‘Daal Chaana’ is being sold at Rs120 against Rs95, 1-kilogram ‘Daal Maash’ at Rs240 against Rs190, 1-kilogram ‘Daal Moong’ at Rs148 against Rs120, 1-kilogram ‘Daal Masoor’ at Rs122 against Rs90, 1-kilogram ‘chick peas’ at Rs135 against Rs100, 1-kilogram ‘Laal Lobia’ at Rs128 against Rs105 and 1-kilogram ‘Black Channay’ Rs118 against Rs100. The residents of different localities blamed that in papers, the local management is showing that all kitchen items are available at low prices but the story is quite different. Customers, especially those having low income, are perturbed over the ever-increasing prices of daily consumable items. Shopkeepers are charging high prices as there is no check and balance by the authorities.