Locals swarm utility stores for cheap sugar

Amid rising inflation and the government releasing stocks of sugar to be sold at utility stores, long queues were seen outside the government-subsidised stores across the garrison city on Monday.

The main draw was the availability of sugar at the subsidised rate of Rs70 per kilogramme, a far cry from the whopping Rs120 charged in the open market.

With many private and government employees receiving their salaries at the beginning of the month many people visit the utility store to do their groceries. However, the release of subsidised stocks of sugar meant that a greater than usual rush was seen.

As a result, most of the utility stores ran out of sugar within a few hours. Many people, who had waited for hours, had to go home empty-handed when their turn finally came.

Considering the high demand, the management of utility stores imposed a quota of five kilogrammes for each customer to ensure most people could buy the commodity.

Despite that, many complained they could not get their hands on the natural sweetener.

Gulab Begum, an elderly woman who was waiting in line for over an hour, expressed her frustration at the high prices.

She said that her household requires at least five kilogrammes of sugar every month but they were unable to afford it after its price soared past Rs100.

She wondered if she would be able to get sugar when her turn comes.

Another Rawalpindi local, Muhammad Khan, who was waiting in a queue outside the utility store near Committee Chowk, told The Express Tribune that he was a security guard and earned Rs15,000 a month - less than the official minimum wage. He said that his salary barely allowed him to eke out a living.

With the current wave of price-hikes, it had become extremely difficult for him and his family to make ends meet. “At Rs70 for a kilogramme of sugar is still heavy on the pocket for me but it is better than getting it for Rs120,” the security guard said.

Moreover, the management of utility stores said that they had adequate stocks of daily-use items but they experienced an unusual rush at the start of the month. The officials added that due to an unexpected inflow of buyers, many commodities quickly ran out of stock.

Although the utility stores managements had formed separate queues for men and women, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) devised against the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) were openly flouted.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 4^th, 2020.