RAWALPINDI - The prices of vegetables, fruit, poultry, dairy products, pulses and many other kitchen items have been jacked up across the division ahead of Ramazanul Mubarak.
Authorities also failed in reducing the price of potatoes in open market.
The City District Government Rawalpindi (CDGR) high-ups including District Coordination Officer (DCO) Sajid Zafar Dall and his army of assistant commissioners and special price magistrates are not taking any notice of surging trend and artificial price hike of edibles, mainly vegetables and fruits in almost all the markets and bazaars of the city.
The consumers said the surge in prices of daily use items is the result of cartel of administrative authorities, politically influenced market committees and middleman mafia.
They said the vendors, hand-push cart owners and shopkeepers are taking full advantage of the negligence of the authorities concerned and looting poor masses with both hands by charging the prices as per their own sweet will. According to survey, conducted by The Nation on Friday in several markets and bazaars, the prices of vegetables, fruit, pulses, sugar, flour, cold drinks, toothpastes, poultry and spices shot up by 20 to 100 percent.
 The vendors and hand-push cart owners have been selling fruit and vegetables on very high rate at Chungi Number 22, Tench Bhatta, Bakra Mandi, Lalazar, Adyala Road, Murree Road, Sadiqabad, Shakrial, Dhamial, Raja Bazaar, Khana Bridge, Faizabad, Misrial, Chakra, Pirwadhai and many other areas.
 The price of milk has been increased from Rs 90 to 95 per liter while the yogurt was being sold out at Rs 105 per kg instead of Rs 80. The shopkeepers are also charging Rs 4 extra on per kg sugar. Similarly, the price of chicken has been rose from Rs 130 to 150 per kg. 
Similarly, ginger is being sold at Rs 400 per kg; red powder chilly at Rs 280 per kg; garlic at Rs 140 per kg; potatoes from Rs 60 to 80 per kg; onion from Rs 50 to 70 per kg; lemon at Rs 250 per kg; apple at Rs 250 per kg; banana at Rs 200 to 300 per dozen; mangoes from Rs 120 to 140 per kg while green chilies are being sold at Rs 300 per kg. The prices of bason and pulses have also been increased from Rs 2350 to 2500 after which the shopkeepers also fleecing the customers. The government badly failed in reducing the price of potatoes in market as the commodity is being sold from Rs 60 to Rs 80 per kg.
A source in fruit and vegetable market (Sabzi Mandi) told The Nation that the vegetable and fruit sellers bought fruit and vegetable on very cheap rate while they sold it out even on double rates to consumers.
A large number of consumers, while talking to The Nation, protested over criminal mum of government and DCO over surge in prices of edibles. Asma Bibi, a house wife, said that my husband was a poor laborer with daily wage of Rs 400.
“How I will manage my kitchen in Ramazan under this era of price hike” she said adding that CM should take notice of the situation.
“I came in fruit and vegetable market to buy apple, banana, lady fingers and potatoes but have changed my mind after listening high prices of the commodities and going back to home with empty hands” said Sadia Khatoon with a distressed face. DCO Sajid Zafar Dall was not available for his comments over the issue.