KARACHI, Sept 10: Karachiites will have to pay exorbitantly high prices of almost all essential commodities in Ramazan as compared to those prevailed in the previous holy month.

A notification issued by the city government here on Sunday fixing the prices of various essential items showed that most of the edible items of daily use have become costlier to the common men when compared to the prices in Ramazan last year.

According to a comparison, people in this Ramazan will have to pay Rs42 and Rs40 per kg for Dal Chana No.1 and No.2 qualities, respectively as compared to Rs27 and Rs26 per kg last year.

Kabuli Chana No.1 and No.2 have been priced at Rs58 and Rs44 per kg in the official list as against the last year’s Rs50 and Rs47 per kg. Kala Chana No.1 and No.2 will be selling at Rs40 and Rs36 per kg as compared to the last year’s rates of Rs24 and Rs23 per kg. Baisan will be available for Rs42 per kg as compared to last year’s Rs30 per kg.

The rates of atta (No.2.5 and fine) have not been fixed.

Dal Mash No.1 and 2 have been priced at Rs60 and Rs56 per kg as compared to last year’s Rs39 and Rs37 per kg. Dal moong No.1 and 2 will be sold at Rs60 and Rs 56 per kg as against the previous year’s Rs37 and Rs36 per kg. Moong (whole) will be retailed at Rs52 as against Rs34 per kg. Dal Arhar and Masoor rates have, however, remained unchanged.

Meanwhile, traders have rejected the rates fixed by the city government for the upcoming Ramazan.

“I am not satisfied with the rates fixed by the government as there is a lot of disparity in the wholesale rates of pulses, rice, etc., compared to the prevailing rates,” President of the Karachi Wholesale Grocers Association (KWGA), Malik Zulfiqar said.

“The association will seek a meeting with city government officials to renegotiate the rates,” he said, adding that the association does not accept it as the final list.

He pointed out that the main industry for pulses preparation was in Hyderabad where heavy rains and flooding had been playing havoc with everything these days. He apprehended that the prices of pulses might go up further.

In spices, red chilly (whole and powder) would be retailed at Rs70 and Rs85 per kg as compared to Rs50 and Rs60 per kg last year. Dhania (whole and powder) would be available at Rs70 and Rs75 per kg as compared to last year’s Rs55 and Rs65 per kg.

Rates of khajla and pheni (vanaspati ghee) have been increased to Rs90 per kg from last year’s Rs88 per kg while the same items made in desi ghee will be available at Rs180 per kg as compared to Rs170 per kg last year.

Jalaibi made in vanaspati ghee and desi ghee will be priced at Rs70 and Rs130 per kg as compared to Rs66 and Rs106 per kg last year.

The city government has fixed the rate of mutton at Rs220, beef Rs120, beef boneless Rs130 and bachhia Rs135 per kg. The new rates are almost less by Rs10 to Rs40 per kg than the prevailing market rates.

However, these are still higher as compared to last year’s prices when mutton was selling at Rs210, beef Rs100, beef boneless Rs120 and bachhia Rs125 per kg.About 10 office-bearers of the Meat Merchants Welfare Association (MMWA) appeared not happy with the city government for the cut in prices. After going through the newly notified list, they boycotted the Sunday meeting with the officials concerned.

General Secretary of the association Iqbal Qureishi said that EDO E&IP Syed Abid Ali Shah had deviated from the stance he had adopted in the pre-Ramazan meetings with meat merchants. He claimed that it had been agreed that mutton No.1 and 2 would be priced at Rs250 and Rs240 per kg the bachhia (with bones) at Rs140 per kg. Similarly, it had also been agreed that cow meat would be priced at Rs110 and cow meat boneless at Rs150 per kg.

He said the government had actually taken the rates of meat from Korangi, Landhi and Orangi Town areas before determining the reasonable prices for Ramazan which, according to him, was not fair as there was a big difference in quality of meat available in those areas and the other localities.

“We will sit together next week to decide the future course of action in view of the warning by the city government of dealing with meat sellers with an iron hand in case of violation of the price list,” he said.