HYDERABAD: Fruit prices shoot up with arrival of Ramazan
By M.H. Khan
HYDERABAD, Oct 9: The issuing of the official price list for fruits by the district government has been of little effect with no fruit-seller following the officially fixed prices.
Buyers on the other hand have no option but to purchase fruits as per rates fixed by vendors.
Despite the fact that the deputy district officer (DDOs), EDOs, Mukhtiarkars and taluka municipal officers (TMOs) have been delegated magisterial powers by the provincial home department for strict enforcement of Ehteram Ramazan Ordinance, none of these officials visit the market to take notice of the extortion and to punish the vendors fleecing people.
The prices of fruits continued to register sharp increase when compared to official price lists which are issued on a daily basis by the EDO revenue Hyderabad after revenue official, deputed in the market, provided the price lists.
The prices are normally fixed in the Sabzi Mandi in the wee hours and in the light of these price lists the fruit and vegetable sellers are required to comply with the list but it has proved to be an exercise in futility.
At the Tower Market the buyers throng the bazaar in the afternoon and before iftar timings only to be fleeced by the vendors.
From day one the fruit sellers are not selling the fruits in accordance with officially fixed prices.
For instance, quality no-1 melon is being sold between Rs20-Rs25 per kilo gram against official prices of Rs18 while quality no-1 grapes (sundarkhani) are being sold at Rs100 per kilo gram against official price of Rs70, the quality no-2 grapes (gola) are to be sold at Rs54 per kilo gram but they are being sold at Rs60 per kg. Water-melon on first Ramazan was sold at Rs10 per kg while now it is sold at Rs16 per kilogram against official price of Rs14.
Apple golden is available for Rs40-45 per kg against official prices of Rs40.
“The officials simply do not know how to control prices because they cannot do it properly. They fix prices on their own without checking the mode of auction 100 kilo gram of fruits of one single item”, said a fruit seller at the tower market.
He said that 14-15 kg of quality no-1 melon was sold in the market for Rs320 despite the fact that it also included rotten pieces.
Before Ramazan, water melon (white) was being sold at Rs16 per kg but now buyers are buying at for Rs20 per kg.
The prices are fixed at the Sabzi Mandi at Fajr prayers in presence of Market Committee and a revenue official, deputed by district government.
The same prices for different varieties of fruits are subsequently forwarded to the pushcarts and vendors only to be flouted openly.
A commission agent of Sabzi Mandi, Javed Ahmed said that “the Mandi works till afternoon as fruits are brought continuously.
However, the market committee fixed the prices at the very first auction of fruits without realising the fact that it could witness decrease in the later part of the day”.
He called for punishment and imposition of fine over those who violated the official price list.
He said that the vendors did not make distinction between quality no1 and no-2 of fruits.
The price list also seems to be defective because the vendors were selling some fruit items below the official price list on Sunday.
The quality no-1 melon was sold at Rs22 per kilo gram against official price of Rs20 while quality no-2 melon golden at Rs15 against official fixed price of Rs18.
However, the fruit sellers are answerable to no one.
“The revenue officials and market players at Sabzi Mandi do not realise ground realities and they just do a cosmetic job because they are not sincere in providing any relief to buyers”, one vendor said.
A fruit commission agent, Najamuddin said that they were basically concerned with the auction of fruits only and the market committee inspector and Mukhtiarkar only obtained current position of wholesale rates of fruits or vegetables.
Subsequently, he said, the revenue officials themselves fixed the prices for the retailers.
