CHINIOT: The prices of chicken, mutton and beef have registered up to 70 per cent increase during the holy month of Ramazan and the shopkeepers are violating the official rate list.

Profiteers are exploiting the situation, charging an additional Rs200 to 400 per kilogram above the district administration’s fixed prices in Chiniot.

Before Ramazan, chicken was being sold at Rs550 per kg, but since the month began, prices have spiked to Rs780 per kilo. Similarly, beef prices have increased from Rs900 to Rs1,100 per kg, while mutton prices have jumped from Rs1,800 to Rs2,200 per kg.

Despite the district administration setting official rates at Rs750 for beef, Rs1,600 for mutton and Rs591 for chicken, more than 500 meat shops in Chiniot continue to sell at inflated prices. The only place selling meat at these government-fixed rates is the Ramazan Bazaar, but consumers have raised concerns about the quality of meat available there.

Although 32 price magistrates are tasked with monitoring the markets, their efforts are limited to issuing warnings and imposing fines rather than enforcing the fixed prices effectively.

On the other hand, meat vendors argue that government-fixed rates are unrealistic given the high costs in the wholesale market.

Muhammad Umar, a chicken shop owner in Mohallah Noorwala, said: “It’s impossible to buy birds at inflated wholesale prices and sell them at the low rates set by the government. If the government wants enforcement, they should intervene in the wholesale market.”

He further explained that their purchase price stands at Rs750 per kilo, and they sell at Rs780 per kg, leaving only a Rs 30 margin. Similarly, Zafar Qasab, a butcher, stated that the prices of live animals have surged in the cattle market, making it unfeasible to sell meat at government rates.

“We bear the brunt of price control fines, but we simply cannot reduce our prices,” he added.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Safiullah Gondal assured that strict action was being taken against profiteers. “Price control magistrates are on duty round the clock, including weekends and holidays, to regulate market prices. From March 1 to 12, a total of 86,922 inspections were conducted across the district, resulting in 1,195 arrests, 80 shop closures, five FIRs, and fines totaling Rs1,511,000.”

Despite these efforts, citizens demand more concrete measures such as government intervention in wholesale markets and cattle trading to ensure fair pricing. They argue that fines alone are not enough if shopkeepers continue to charge beyond the fixed rates.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2025