Price fluctuations stir shopper discontent

Vendors at Sunday market openly defy official prices

RAWALPINDI:

Reduced prices of fruits and vegetables were observed in the Sunday Sasta (cheap) market. At the same time, the rate of some produce has also increased. Overall, citizens expressed partial satisfaction at the Sasta Bazaar.

Part of the reason for the decrease in prices is the intensity of the hot weather, as well as the fast-approaching season of Eidul Azha.

In the Sunday Sasta Bazaar at Committee Chowk, while some prices had been decreased, other goods were being sold for higher process. In particular, good quality fruits and vegetables were hard to find at satisfactory prices as their rates had been set considerably higher.

There had also been a long-standing demand for openly displayed price lists and availability of quality goods at the Sasta Bazaar. However, the rate list issued by the district administration was not displayed in the bazaar and the promise of ordering the rate list from the stall holders has also been continuously delayed. Neither was any authorised officer of the district administration present at the venue to display the rate list and enforce it.

Prices of certain produce at the Sunday Sasta Bazaar were as follows, melons were priced at Rs100 per kg, apples at Rs300 per kg, bananas at Rs150 per dozen and peaches at Rs250 per kg. Gourd and pumpkin were priced at Rs150 per kg, cabbage at Rs100 per kg and onions and potatoes were both priced at Rs100 per kg.

Desi squash was being sold for Rs200, ridge gourd for Rs120, cauliflower for Rs150 per kg, eggplant for Rs150 per kg and bitter gourd for Rs140 per kg.

An extraordinary increase was observed in the price of lemons. Lemons started selling from Rs200 per kg but then gradually rose to a price of Rs640 per kg.

Additionally, the tomatoes that were sold at Rs80 per kg just three days before Eidul Fitr, were selling for Rs200 kg. Similarly, the price of ginger went from Rs600 per kg to Rs640 per kg. While garlic went down from Rs560 per kg to Rs200 per kg, okra went down from Rs300 per kg to Rs160 per kg. Green chillies, which had started selling at Rs200 per kg went down to Rs120 per kg.

Muhammad Ashraf, Shafiqur Rahman, Akbar Hussain and Naseer Ahmad, some of the citizens who came to the bazaar to shop for groceries, all voiced a similar thought by expressing that although the prices of fruits and vegetables were cheaper on Sunday, the quality of some of the produce was not good.

“The rate list issued by the government is not available to any shopkeeper. We are willing to buy cheap goods at low rates in the Sunday cheap market, but for this, the rate list issued by the district administration must be displayed prominently by every stall holder,” said one citizen while speaking to The Express Tribune.

They further recommended that to implement the rate lists, an authorised officer of the administration should set up his office at the bazaar so that citizens can direct their complaints about the prices and quality to him. “The district administration issues the rate list, but no serious effort is made to implement it,” they said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 27^th, 2024.