PESHAWAR: The skyrocketing prices of essential commodities have unnerved residents of Peshawar during the month of Ramzan as profiteers continue to disregard the plight of others despite a global pandemic.
Shopkeepers and retailers, particularly those who sell daily use items like fruits and vegetables are almost enjoying a freehand by heavily charging consumers in Ramzan despite the fixation of rates of essential commodities by the district administration.
A market survey on Wednesday revealed that a sharp increase has been witnessed in prices of almost all kind of essential commodities including rice, pulses, fruits, vegetables and poultry items in Ramzan.
The shopkeepers, retailers and vendors were refusing to sell these items as per officially declared prices sighting cost of transportation, labour charges, electricity and gas bills besides shops rents.
The vegetable and fruits prices have increased manifolds in the lucrative market of Peshawar as potato, a commonly used item in Ramzan was being sold at Rs60 per kg, onion at Rs80, lemon at Rs400, kacha aloo at Rs180, peas Rs150, garlic Rs300 and ladyfinger at Rs80 per kg.
Similarly, Banana is being sold at Rs150 per dozen, orange Rs250 per dozen, melon at Rs100 per kg, watermelon Rs50 per kg, apple 400 per kilogram and strawberry up to 300 per kilogram.
“The prices of vegetable and fruits were sky high this Ramzan and purchase of banana, apple and others fruits besides vegetables were beyond the purchasing power of middle and salary class that needed to be checked,” Misal Khan, a buyer at Chamkani fruit market told APP.
He said Sasta bazaar, which was the sole hope for poor people of Peshawar to get essential commodities items at affordable rates, was also closed this year due to coronavirus pandemic and people were left at the mercy of hoarders, price hikers and profiteers.
He said it was the duty of district administration to ensure the availability of essential goods to consumers at Government approved rate during Ramzan.
The people have requested the district administration to ensure all daily use commodities including fruits and vegetables to consumers on Government approved rate and take strict action against violators in the wake of Coronavirus outbreak.
To discourage hoarding, an official of the district administration said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government has promulgated an ordinance against hoarding under which three years’ imprisonment and 50pc fine of the total auction of confiscated goods would be awarded to hoarders.
He said Assistant Commissioners were mobilized to check prices of daily use commodities in their respective areas besides implementing Government orders regarding containment of coronavirus.
The official said elements involved in price hikes would be sent to jails besides sealing of their shops.
