KARACHI, July 12: Despite tall claims of administration to control food inflation, the rates of eatables are on fire.

The prices of vegetables have surged up to almost 100 per cent rise for the past few days. The rates of tomatoes, potatoes, ladyfinger, spinach, bottle gourds, coriander leaves and other vegetables have been raised substantially, creating a nightmare for housewives, who are already baffled with unprecedented raise in prices of sugar and fresh milk.

According to a survey, the prices of tomatoes are ranging from Rs40 to Rs60 per kilogram, prices of ladyfinger, bottle gourds, bottle bridge and other vegetables, which are usually sold at Rs20 per kg are being sold at around Rs40 per kg.

A bundle of coriander leaves, which is generally sold at Rs2, is being sold at Rs5 to Rs8. Potatoes are being sold at Rs18-24 per kg. Customers complain that poor quality potatoes with sweet taste are being sold at Rs18 per kg while the good ones are even costlier. Potatoes of the last crop, stored in cold storage, are also being sold in the vegetable markets of Karachi on inflated rates.

Vegetable sellers blame high transportation cost and hot summer season for the surge in prices of vegetables, while the consumers raise finger towards the lethargic administration that had already failed miserably to bring down the prices of daily-use commodities.—PPI