KASUR, July 26: Unbridled surge in prices of essential items of daily use and galloping inflation have broken the back of the common man in Kasur district.

The people belonging to all strata of society have criticised the district government for its failure to keep any check on the prices.

Even pulses and vegetables, once considered to be easily affordable commodities, have almost gone out of reach of many people. Mutton and beef, even among the upper middle class families, are no more frequently consumed dishes. Meat has virtually become a rare dish among middle class families.

Similarly, the consumption of fruits has dropped considerably for being unaffordable to common man.

The role of the price control committees, if actually these exist beyond paper, has become ineffective as official price lists are in sharp contrast with those displayed by shopkeepers.

The unprecedented hike in prices of POL products has already pushed the salaried class to the wall as they are unable to meet their expenses.

Habib Ahmed, working as postman in GPO, said that he found it extremely difficult to feed his family with the meager salary he was getting. To supplement his income, he said he had to do a part time job.

A traffic police constable, requesting anonymity, said the modest salary he was receiving forced him to take bribe to save his family from starvation.

Maid Fatima Bibi, rearing her five children, said that she could not afford to send her two children to school because of unprecedented hike in prices of daily use.

Most of shopkeepers of Nia Bazaar, Bazaar Dalgirah, Circular Road, Railway Road and Haji Farid Road held the government responsible for the dearness which had badly affected their business with shrinking considerably the purchasing power of the common man.

MNA Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed termed the government claim of providing essential commodities to citizen at low prices through utility stores no more than a joke as no such store existed in Kasur.

District Nazim Rana Hayat, elected on the ARD platform, said that some powerful hidden hands and mafia were also responsible for the unprecedented price hike.

DCO Hashim Tareen said that he had already called an emergency meeting of traders so that prices could be controlled effectively.