Taking advantage of the festive season of Ramzan, the merchants in city markets and weekly bazaars, especially in the southern part of the city, are fleecing the people by selling fruits and veggies at exorbitant rates.
Ramzan shopping at different fruit markets in the city left people flabbergasted after finding the steep increase in prices of fruits out of the blue. Almost all the varieties of fruits are being offered at a high price today at several markets much to the chagrin of people already sulking under fuel price hike.
“The grape which was offered at a price of Rs.50 per kilogram a day ahead of Ramzan season is now being sold at Rs.70-80. The merchants, when asked, are simply griping that the recent increase in fuel prices left them to pay extra to get the fruits at wholesale markets. However, they fail to reply when asked whether the fuel prices leave an impact only on the merchants? Palpably they are taking advantage of the situation under one pretext to another,” argued Syed Iftekhar Hussaini, a community activist
Similar is the situation of vegetable markets where the merchants are selling the green food at much higher rates then common days taking seizing the opportunity.
As against the reasonable price of Rs.11 to 16 per kilogram for a seasonal veggie, the tomatoes are being offered at a price of Rs.25-30 per kilogram in city markets. The traders are getting the tomatoes at a rate of just Rs.600 per quintal at Gudi Malkapur wholesale market that comes to a retail price of Rs.11-16 per kilogram.
Similarly, the potatoes are offered at a price between Rs.30-35 at retail bazaars. However, the retail price is minimum Rs.19 and maximum Rs.22 per kilogram. The Gudi Malkapur market saw an arrival of 1223 quintals of potatoes on Monday with minimum Rs.1600 per quintal and maximum Rs.1800 per quintal.
Other seasonal veggies such as Brinjal, Lady Finger, cucumber, Cauliflower, green chillies and Dry Onion too are offered at higher prices though these veggies too are abundantly marked into the wholesale market.
The retail merchants are simply taking refuge in fuel price hike while people are paying through the noose for their selfish trade tactics.
Urging the regulatory authorities to ensure regular monitoring of the fruit and vegetable prices in the city markets, Srinivas Harkara, the senior advocate and founder of the City of Terrace Gardens (CTG), said “The authorities should ensure that merchant sell commodities of rational rates without taking advantage of festive season as their wayward business attitude burn a extra hole in public pocket.”
