RAWALPINDI: With just a few days left until Eidul Azha, prices of sacrificial animals have increased sharply.

Traders as well as buyers at cattle sale points have expressed concern over high cost of the animal as well as transportation charges. Cattle traders usually come to Rawalpindi from other parts of the district like Fatahjang, Talagang, Attock, Taxila and Gujar Khan.

One of the buyers, a resident of Defence Housing Authority, had gone to buy goats from Bhatta Chowk. He said he was taken aback upon observing high prices of animals and complaints by traders of charges they had been paying to contractors.

He said he had purchased two goats and of the total amount, he paid 5pc tax to the contractor, which was Rs3,800 for two animals.

One of the cattle traders at the market paid tax amounting to Rs2,000 for the sale of a single goat and Rs3,000 for the sale of a cow to the contractor, just to enter into the market premises.

He said due to this tax and transportation charges, prices of the animals have increased. “What is our fault, we lose buyers due to high prices,” the trader said.

People were visiting animal markets to buy or see suitable animals but most buyers looked disappointed upon observing high prices of animals which they said were beyond what they could afford.

Buyers who visited the cattle market in Rawat were also complaining of high prices of animals; the minimum price of a goat in the market was Rs45,000 going towards Rs75,000 and Rs100,000 while the prices of cows and buffaloes were between Rs130,000 to Rs250,000 to Rs350,000.

“I cannot afford to buy a goat due to the high price, so I decided to buy a cow by pitching in with other family members,” another buyer said, adding: “There should have been a representative of the district government to check the prices and taxes being charged either from the buyers or sellers.”

Jawad Azhar, another buyer, said it would be better to donate money to a charity than to buy a goat for Rs60,000 or Rs75,000.

None of the buyers or sellers could be seen following standard operating procedures (SOPs), despite an increase in the coronavirus cases reported in the twin cities in recent days.

The provincial government allocated 12 sites for establishment of cattle markets for sale/purchase of sacrificial animals ahead of Eidul Azha in Rawalpindi district. Assistant commissioners have been assigned supervisory control of the markets so that sellers and buyers may be accommodated with precautionary measures in a hygienic environment.

A district administration official said that the charges taken from buyers or sellers are up to the contractor because the cattle sites are given on contract.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2021