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Fuel prices have risen sharply over the past three days, triggering a significant increase in the cost of essential food items, including pulses, tomatoes and onions, according to a report by Dawn.
Residents alleged that the local administration has remained a silent spectator as the daily revision in fuel prices continues to drive up the cost of essential commodities. They said the continuous increase in fuel rates has led to daily hikes in food prices across the garrison city, with little action to control the situation. Tomatoes are currently selling at Rs 500 per kg, onions at Rs 120 per kg and cucumbers at Rs 300 per kg, while the prices of pulses at retail outlets have increased by around five per cent. Milk is being sold at Rs 260 per litre and curd at Rs 280 per kg. "It is difficult to pay electricity bills and buy edibles," a resident said, as quoted in the Dawn report. Rawalpindi Karyana Merchant Association Chairman Saleem Pervaiz Butt said the prices of pulses and vegetables had gone up after the government imposed sales tax on vegetable oil, increasing its price to Rs 3,000 for a five-kilogram pack. He added that retailers were also facing difficulties because wholesalers had raised the prices of pulses and wheat flour. According to Butt, shopkeepers are compelled to purchase essential commodities from wholesale markets at higher rates, making it impossible to sell them at lower prices. He further said that the cost of pulses had risen by five per cent owing to increased transportation charges from supply warehouses to retail shops, as cited by the Dawn report. Butt also said that although the Punjab government had instructed price magistrates to impose hefty fines on shopkeepers, it had not revised the official price list after assessing prevailing market rates. He noted that the steep rise in food prices has reduced customer footfall in markets, leaving retailers struggling with declining sales. He urged the district administration to update the official price list of essential commodities in consultation with wholesalers and shopkeepers. Rawalpindi Fruit and Vegetable Association President Ghulam Qadir Mir told Dawn that vegetable prices had increased substantially, with tomatoes selling at Rs 500 per kg, cucumbers at Rs 300 per kg, onions at Rs 120 per kg, potatoes at Rs 80 per kg and most other vegetables priced above Rs 150 per kg. He attributed the increase primarily to the surge in fuel prices, saying transporters have started revising freight charges daily. Mir noted that before the introduction of daily fuel price revisions, transport charges were generally adjusted on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis, but that practice has now changed, according to the Dawn report. (ANI)
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