Prices of basic food items witness sharp increase

Price magistrates fail to enforce official rates

RAWALPINDI:

With the increase in the prices of petroleum products, prices of all daily use commodities have shot up exponentially in the local market.

Prices of daily use commodities such as sugar, rice, pulses, chicken and tea have shot up in local markets.

The rising prices of food items have made several holes in the pockets of average earning citizens who have to bear the brunt of hovering prices of edibles.

Since the federal government has jacked up the price of petroleum products, rates of several daily-use items have increased manyfold, leaving the consumers at the mercy of marketeers who blatantly ignore government price lists.

The prices of all basic food items have witnessed a surge of 20 per cent to 30 per cent increase in their prices, burdening the already troubled common man.

Multinational and national companies have also announced up to 30 per cent increase in prices of all products from Monday, May 30.

In the open market, chicken meat is being sold at Rs470 per kg, live chicken at Rs307 per kg, eggs at Rs170 a dozen, mutton at Rs1,500 per kg, beef at Rs900 per kg, milk Rs130 per litre, yoghurt at Rs160 per kg, ghee at Rs 520 per kg, oil at Rs 530, good quality rice at Rs260 per kg, red beans at Rs350 per kg, white gram at Rs250 per kg, lentils and peanuts at Rs 340 per kg.

Similarly, potatoes are being sold at Rs40 per kg, onions at Rs80 per kg, tomatoes at Rs130 per kg, garlic at Rs150-250 per kg, ginger at Rs300 per kg, cucumber at Rs50 per kg, peas at Rs200 per kg, lemons at Rs250 per kg, green chillies at Rs110, capsicum at Rs90 per kg, cabbage at Rs80-90 per kg, bitter gourd at Rs90 per kg, eggplant Rs85 per kg, green coriander at Rs25, apple at Rs150-250 per kg, mango at Rs200 per kg, apricot at Rs150 per kg, cherry at Rs300 per box, melon at Rs40 and watermelon at Rs20 per kg.

The 60 price control magistrates in Rawalpindi district have completely failed to enforce the notified and official rates.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 30^th, 2022.