BATTAGRAM: The shopkeepers here have increased the prices of vegetable, fruit and other essential commodities in the absence of any official check.

The local people have urged the district administration and food department to visit the local markets and provide relief to them, especially during Ramazan. They complained that the vendors had jacked up prices of vegetable and fruit with the start of the fasting month.

They also complained that in other districts the government had set up Ramazan sasta bazaars to provide relief to the consumers while in Battagram the district administration had not made any such arrangement.

Awami National Party, Battagram chapter, president Ayaz Torkhaili told this scribe during his visit to the market that most of the vegetable and fruit vendors and butchers had not displayed any official price list and were charging the consumers according to their will.

He asked the district administration to take strict action to curb profiteering during Ramazan.

Shayan, a resident of Battagram village, said that he visited the vegetable market and noticed that vendors had been fleecing consumers. He said that one vendor was charging Rs150 for one kilogramme of lady finger and another Rs180 per kg, instead of Rs120 per kg mentioned in the official price list.

Amjid Ali, another resident, told this correspondent that it had become almost impossible for them to buy edible items from the market because of the price hike. He demanded the district administration to frequently visit the vegetable, fruit and other markets and implement the government rates.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2021