AJK faces Price-hike in Ramazan

MIRPUR (AJK); Mar 29 (APP): With the very advent of the Ramazan, profiteers, and hoarders, across Azad Jammu & Kashmir, have started fleecing the consumers, through the self-created price hike.

Meanwhile, the AJK authorities have decided to establish special Ramazan bazaars in various parts of all AJK districts including the capital city of Muzaffarabad as well as the divisional headquarters of Mirpur and Rawalakot.

Most of the shopkeepers were charging excessive prices for the items – including vegetables, fruit, soft drinks, milk, Yogurt, mutton, beef, chicken, bread, eggs, and dates against the rates fixed by the District Price Control Committee (DPCC).

“The District Price Control Committees in all AJK districts seemed literally failed in getting in control the prices of the commodities of daily use,” said Attique Amin Khan, Convener Mirpur Consumers Forum.

“The prices of almost all edible items have gone out of reach of the common man,” said Bashir Kashmiri, a constable in the local IT department.

At the same time, AJK authorities asserted that they have principally decided to establish special Ramadzan Bazars under the spirit to ensure the required supply of edibles to the general consumers at subsidized rates during the Ramazan.

Meanwhile, a senior AJK government official, who declined to be identified, here Wednesday told APP that all the district administrations in AJK have taken stringent measures to discourage profiteering, hoarding and artificial scarcity of edible items during and after the Ramazan.

He asserted that those involved in such an unlawful exercise will be booked.
“The sanctity of this month will be maintained in all circumstances”, the official declared.

“The government has ensured the availability of edibles including mutton, beef, chicken, sugar, vegetables, fruit, flour, rice, pulses and other items at inexpensive rates at Ramazan Bazaars as fixed by the concerned district administrations”, according to the official.

“Mirpur district administration says it has yet to launch special Ramazan Bazars in various parts of the Mirpur district including at central Allama Iqbal Road and main shopping centre Naangi.

The sources said that in Mirpur city the Ramazan Bazar have yet been inaugurated where all quality edibles were being made available at inexpensive rates as compared to the general market.

Venders, Stall holders at Ramazan Bazaars will be bound to display the rate lists of the commodities, determined by the authorities, at a visible place at their sale points from 8.30 in the morning, he said.

When questioned that what preventive steps were being taken by the administration to net the profiteers and hoarders, the official sources stated that an extensive drive has yet to be kicked off to overcome the price-hike on the part of the shopkeepers involved in overcharging besides creating artificial scarcity and hoarding.

Mobile teams headed by magistrates have yet been constituted to conduct surprise checking of the prices and the shopkeepers – both wholesalers and retailers, involved in charging exorbitant rates would be booked.

Besides, general shopkeepers, the owners of the main shopping malls and Departmental stores have also been warned to maintain the prices of the items of daily use – fixed by the administration – during and even after the month of Ramazan. “The violators would be taken to task under the law”, the sources warned.