Prices of essential food items go up in Mohmand
By Our Correspondent
2019-05-06
GHALANAI: Prices of essential food items have increased manifold ahead of Ramazan in the Mohmand tribal district while there is no mechanism in place to keep the prices in check.
During a survey, this scribe noted that price of pulse gram has jumped to Rs150 per kg from its last week`s price of Rs120, mash Rs230 per kg from Rs200, Moong Rs310 per kg from Rs290, sugar Rs68 per kg from Rs60, ghee Rs172 per kg from Rs165, good quality rice Rs150 per kg from Rs100, gram flour (basin) Rs140 per kg from Rs110 and meat Rs370 per kg from Rs250.
Rasheed Khan, a vegetable vendor in Chanda Bazaar, said that tomato was being sold at Rs70 per kg compared to its last week`s rate of Rs45 per kg, potato Rs60 per 1(g against 40 per kg, pumpl(in 70 per kg against Rs40, ladyfinger Rs140 per kg against Rs100 and onion Rs60 per 1(g against its last week`s price of Rs40.
`It is a routine before the start of Ramazan that the prices of essential food items go up and the local administration fails to control them,` said Shah Mehmood, a local resident in Mian Mandi. He said that with announcement of increase in oil prices by the government the shopkeepers had also increased prices of most of the items by Rs30 to Rs 40.
Janullah, a fruit vendor at Ekkaghund Bazaar, said that Iranian apple was being sold at Rs280 per kg compared to the last week`s price of Rs220 and Quetta apple Rs180 per kg, while prices of other fruits had also seen visible increase in prices.
The shopkeepers said that prices had been increased in the wholesale market due to hike in petroleum prices and they were just passing them onto the consumers.
When contacted, additional deputy commissioner Syed Saiful Islam said that the district administration would take action against profiteers and hoarders. `The shopl(eepers selling vegetable, fruit and other commodities on high prices will be sent to lockup and fined,` he said.
He said that price control committees would be set up in each tehsil which would monitor the prices of essential commodities in different bazaars of the area during Ramazan.
