No respite for poverty-stricken people

By Waheed Murad

PESHAWAR: Only a few days are left in the arrival of Ramazan-ul-Mubarak. Every year the federal government announces special packages for giving relief to the poor people of the country during the holy month of fasting, usually in the shape of slashing the prices of the commodities of daily use provided through the utility stores.

However, this year hardly any difference is noticeable in the prices of the essential commodities in the open market and at the utility stores and as such there is no relief in sight for the common man during the blessed month of fasting beginning in a few days’ time.

The Utility Stores Corporation announced two weeks ago giving some concessions in the prices of items like atta, sugar, ghee, dates, baisan, maida etc, but the relief is negligible as these items are available almost at the same prices in the open market.

According to sources, hoarding of the essential commodities like atta, sugar, rice, pulses, ghee and baisan etc starts with the arrival of the month of Shaaban so that these items can be sold at double the usual prices by creating an artificial crisis.

The government does not appear to be coming forward with measures of relief for the ordinary people during the month of fasting. In case the Utility Stores Corporation working under the control of the government is constrained to hike the prices of the essential commodities, the price situation in the open market is bound to be much more horrifying and paralysing.

At the most the prices of the essential commodities jacked up through the utility stores will be slightly slashed in the name of the 'Ramazan Package' to hoodwink the masses.

The government needs to take clear-cut steps in this regard so that the worries of the common people can be reduced and take concrete measures to check the unbridled trend of price-hike every now and then so that the masses can find some visible relief.