He said the bazaars had been set up to provide good quality groceries at affordable prices. PHOTO: FILE
“Profiteers are busy looting people with both hands by selling some food items at self-fixed prices,” Arshad Khan, a local, told The Express Tribune on Thursday.
He said milk was sold for Rs95 per kilogramme in other months, but the price for the same had gone up to Rs110 in Ramazan.
“People are compelled to buy commodities at a higher price as they don’t have any other choice,” he added. “Besides milk and meat, the prices of other food items, such as vegetables and fruit, do not match those mentioned in the official price list approved by the government.”
He complained, “Many fruit and vegetable vendors don’t even bother to display the official price list of commodities at their shops.” Arshad added the district administration was exposed as it did nothing to stop traders from amassing illegal wealth.
Outages continue
Besides price hikes, the people of Mingora, just like those in other parts of the province, are also faced with long hours of power outages.
“The 15-hour long outages have added to the problems faced by locals,” Saifullah, a Mingora resident, said. “There is no power during Sehri and Iftar, despite official announcement that there would be no outages in those hours.”
The power crisis has also had adverse effects on the business community.
“It is troublesome for traders when there is no electricity and they have to wait for customers in the scorching heat,” Hayat Ali, a local trader, said.
Ramazan bazaar: Commissioner ‘displeased’ with poor arrangements
A couple of days ago, members of Swat District Council lashed out at officials of the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader, Amir Muqam, at a news conference in Swat Press Club. They accused authorities of turning a blind eye to their demands of repairing an electric feeder and transformer which had developed faults. These devices had been lying unrepaired for some months.
Bannu protest
On the other hand, prolonged load-shedding triggered protests in Bannu.
“Even after getting a surety bond, the power goes off before Iftar and in the morning,” a district councillor in Bannu told The Express Tribune. He added locals have to walk for miles to get water as there is no electricity to run machines or tube wells.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 10th, 2016.
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