High prices, low quality disappoint residents

Ramazan Bazaars do not deserve to be called ‘Sasta Bazaars’ anymore, insist consumers

RAWALPINDI:

To seek some relief from the rising tide of inflation, a large number of people can be seen lined up outside utility stores in the sweltering heat in the garrison city. However, much to their disappointment, essential commodities at Ramazan Sasta Bazaars are of low quality and the rates are almost the same in the open market.

Men, women and children wait outside stores to buy groceries as prices of flour, sugar, rice, milk, ghee, meat, vegetables and fruits have skyrocketed in the open market.

Talking to The Express Tribune, customers Mohammad Akhlaq and Sher Ali said that Ramazan Bazaars do not deserve to be called Sasta Bazaars anymore. They observed that prices of vegetables, fruits, meat, flour, sugar, rice and other commodities are not much different from those in the open market.

They said that the government should improve the quality of food and reduce prices.

On the other hand, some shoppers who had gathered outside a store on Sunday expressed satisfaction over the rates and quality of the goods. A shopper named Shabbir Khan said that the supply of utility stores should be increased. In the utility stores, 20 kgs of flour is available for Rs950, sugar is for Rs85 per kg, cooking oil is Rs260 per kg, tea is for Rs240 per 250 grammes, milk is for Rs142 per kg and dates are being purchased at Rs140 per kg. Pulses, spices, rice, and beverages are also available at lower rates than the open market.

Naseer Ahmed and Suraya Bibi said that while there is inflation, the relief through utility stores is a help for them. They urged the government to apply this relief to the general market.

Despite being in the second half of Ramazan, the wave of inflation in the open market has not been contained. Bananas are sold for Rs150-200 per dozen, apples for Rs180-250 per kg, watermelon for Rs70 per kg, chicken for Rs440 per kg, beef for Rs600-700 per kg, mutton for Rs1600 per kg, milk for Rs140 per litre and yogurt for Rs170 per kg.

The shoppers said that price control magistrates do not seem to be playing an effective role in curbing this wave of inflation. In the absence of drastic measures to curb this trend, the rising tide of inflation in the last ten days of Ramazan and on Eid-ul-Fitr will put citizens in an even more difficult position.

 

 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 18^th, 2022.