KHYBER/SWABI/BATTAGRAM: Despite establishment of sasta bazaars by district administration in Khyber, prices of most edible items have registered a sharp increase with the start of Ramazan.

The administration had earlier announced that sasta bazaars would provide relief to the local consumers during the month of fasting as prices of daily use items would be kept under control and most edibles would be sold at subsidised rates.

However, the claim proved to be a farce as shopkeepers in local markets, other than the sasta bazaars, increased prices on their own while caring little for the official price list provided to them prior to the start of Ramazan.

Hikmat Ali, a dealer of medicines in Landi Kotal, said that items displayed at the sasta bazaars were limited and their quality was also poor as compared to open market. He said that vendors increased prices of almost all types of vegetables by 100 per cent with tomatoes sold for almost Rs300 per kilogrwwam.

Prices of daily use items have increased manifold in Khyber, Swabi and Battagram since start of Ramazan

He said that the administration had almost lost its control over the prices of vegetables, fruits, meat, milk and other food items. “The local price control committee is not existent while the shopkeepers fix prices on their own”, he added.

Sher Mohammad, another resident of Landi Kotal, said that prices of mutton and beef were also increased as administration was yet to fix their rates. He said that the price of per kilogram chicken was increased by almost Rs100.

Assistant Commissioner Akbar Iftikhar paid a visit to local bazaar and asked the shopkeepers to abide by the official price list. But his visit was of little help to bring down the prices as shopkeepers continues to fleece consumers.

In Jamrud and Bara too, locals complained about increase in prices of almost all daily use commodities, especially fruit, vegetable and bakery items.

In Swabi, the price of tomato has recorded 100 per cent increase during the first two days of Ramazan while rates of other vegetables and fruits have also witnessed a sharp hike.

The price of tomato jumped to Rs200 per kilogram, onion from Rs50 per kg to Rs70, cucumber from Rs60 to Rs80, cauliflower from Rs70 to Rs100, taro root (arbi) from Rs60 to Rs100, ridge gourd from Rs70 to Rs100, garlic from Rs450 per five kilograms to Rs500, green bean from Rs70 to Rs100, potato from Rs50 to Rs60, cabbage from Rs60 to Rs100, carrot from Rs60 to Rs100 and green pepper from Rs80 to Rs100.

Similarly the fruit prices have also been increased.

Meanwhile, Mutasimbillah Shah, provincial education secretary, visited the bazaars and checked the prices of vegetables and fruits and exchanged views with traders and consumers.

In Battagram, the traders brought by the district administration to set up stalls at a Ramazan sasta bazaar in the tehsil municipal administration’s shelters, went back to their shops immediately after a photo session with the officials, local residents complained.

Shah Faisal, a resident of Gijbori village, told Dawn that the district administration officials had claimed on social media that they had set up a sasta bazaar in the main town to provide the consumers with food items at subsidised rates during the fasting month, but when he visited the site he found only vacant shelters.

Anwar Khan, a resident of Ajmera village, said the provincial government was claiming that it had allocated million of rupees for the Ramazan sasta bazaars across the province. However, he regretted that no such bazaar was set up in Battagram.

Naseem Khan of Battagram village said the district administration had brought vendors from the open market to set up stalls in the sasta bazaar, but they fled when the officials went away after a photo session for the media.

Kifayatullah, a fruit and vegetable vendor, said the district administration had asked them to set up their stalls in the sasta bazaar and sell fruits and vegetables at low prices without giving them any subsidy.

Samiullah, a local, said the district administration had failed to keep check on prices of food items with the start of Ramazan.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2022