Traders defy official rates of eatables

RAWALPINDI:

District Magistrate Hassan Waqar Cheema on Wednesday released the official rate list of food items by fixing the official new prices. However, the Central Grocery Merchants Association, the Gawala Union, the Naanbai Association, the Wholesale Dealers Association and the Meat Association rejected the new prices, terming them "air-conditioned room prices".

At a joint press conference, traders threatened a full-scale protest and shutdown, saying the prices of commodities, which come under the control of the DC, would be halted from sale in the open market.

The DC notified the price of white gram of Rs300 per kg, black gram Rs345, daal channa Rs360, daal moong Rs300, daal masoor Rs275, daal mash Rs500, Basmati rice Rs270, milk Rs190 per kg, yogurt Rs200 per kg, mutton Rs1,000 and beef Rs800.

However. in the open market, white gram is being sold at Rs410 per kg, black gram Rs450, Dal channa Rs430, daal mash Rs600, daal moong Rs350, daal masoor Rs320, milk Rs220 per kg, yogurt Rs240 per kg, mutton Rs2,300 and beef at Rs1,400 per kg.