Rawalpindi retailers reject official rate cuts

RAWALPINDI:

Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Hasan Waqar Cheema has issued a formal notification fixing new official retail rates for pulses, milk, yoghurt, meat and rice in Rawalpindi district, effective immediately.

The new rates have been rejected by the Kiryana Merchants Association, Gawala (milkmen) Union, Butchers Union and Naanbai Association, who have termed the revised prices "equivalent to 2018 rates". The groups have announced protests, shutter-down strikes, and threatened to halt supply if enforcement continues.

Traders argue that the notified prices are between Rs50 and Rs200 below current market prices. Under the notification, key rates include white chickpeas (Rs260/kg), black chickpeas (Rs220/kg), gram pulse (thick) (Rs 240/kg), gram pulse (fine) (Rs 220/kg), moong pulse (Rs340/kg), mash pulse (Rs400/kg), masoor pulse (Rs220/kg), basmati rice (Rs310/kg), broken rice (Rs120/kg), milk (Rs170/kg), yoghurt (Rs200/kg), mutton (Rs1,800/kg), beef (Rs900/kg), and roti (red atta) (Rs14).

Prices for red chilli, wheat flour, sugar, vegetables, fruits and ghee have been deregulated and left to open market practice.

By contrast, traders report prevailing market prices as: white chickpeas Rs450/kg, black chickpeas Rs400/kg, rice Rs400/kg, gram pulse Rs390/kg, mash pulse Rs580/kg, moong pulse Rs370/kg, milk Rs220-230/litre, yoghurt Rs240/kg, mutton Rs2,400/kg, and beef Rs1,400/kg. Red flour roti is currently Rs15 and white flour roti Rs30.

Trade representatives including Saleem Pervaiz Butt (Kiryana Association), Ch Khawar Gujar (Gawala Union), Arshad Qureshi (Butchers Union) and Shafiq Qureshi (Naanbai Association) stated that rates negotiated in the Price Control Committee meeting were not honoured.