Unprecedented rises in prices of essential commodities particularly vegetables, fruits, chicken, eggs and mutton goes unnoticed and consequently uncontrolled the time when few days are left for the commencement of the holy month of Ramadan in Kashmir Valley. Roadside vendors running retail outlets of fruits and vegetables on Bemina-Panthacowk Bypass and also Parimpora and Panthachowk crossings have virtually overtaken the retailers in other fruit and vegetable markets of Srinagar in selling vegetables and fruits on exorbitant rates so much that not even a single vegetable variety is not sold below the price of Rs50/- per Kg and no fruit variety is sold below the price of Rs 120/- Per Kg. While the retail poultry outlets are selling chicken not below the rate of Rs 180/- per Kg against the normal rate of Rs 120/per kg and eggs not below the rate of Rs200/- per tray against the normal rate of Rs 120/ per tray, the mutton retailers are selling mutton at the rate of Rs650/Per Kg against the rate of Rs600/- per kg fixed by the Government recently. Though Deputy Commissioners of almost all the districts are reviewing the arrangements for the ensuing holy month of Ramadan day in and day out across Jammu & Kashmir but reviewing the arrangements in the meeting halls of the offices of Deputy Commissioners without regulation of prices of essentials by market checking squads of the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Department in the markets won’t bring the desired relief and respite to the consumers they deserve in the holy month of Ramadan.
“It is for the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Department to devise a permanent price control mechanism for keeping the prices under control through the year just to ensure that exploitation of consumers does not go unnoticed all the times and more so on the occasions like commencement of the holy month of Ramadan and religious festivals in either Kashmir Valley or Jammu division. Morality demands that traders always demonstrate the spirit of honesty by sticking to prices Government has fixed for essential commodities and more so during the holy month of Ramadan and on the eve of other religious festival also”.
Otherwise also controlling the price rise is the duty of the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Department everywhere and every time in Jammu & Kashmir but not only on the eve of holly month of Ramadan and major religious festivals in either Kashmir Valley or Jammu division. Price rise not attracting the attention and intervention of the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Department for most of the times throughout the year is a very bad practice and precedence which needs to be immediately stopped and instead an effective implementation of a strong price control mechanism deserves immediate attention and intervention of the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Department. It is for the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Department to devise a permanent price control mechanism for keeping the prices under control through the year just to ensure that exploitation of consumers does not go unnoticed all the times and more so on the occasions like commencement of the holy month of Ramadan and religious festivals in either Kashmir Valley or Jammu division. Morality demands that traders always demonstrate the spirit of honesty by sticking to prices Government has fixed for essential commodities and more so during the holy month of Ramadan and on the eve of other religious festival also.
