Exorbitant rates of essential commodities hit common man hard in Baramulla

Baramulla, Mar 21: The residents of Baramulla district are badly hit by the inflated prices. The streets once bustling in the month of Ramadhan are now marred by discontent as residents grapple with the soaring costs of essential items.

Lemon, often used in different drinks during the month of Ramadhan now stands as a luxury beyond reach, priced at an exorbitant Rs 360 per kilogram. Such staggering figures extend to other fruits, with bananas priced Rs 120 per dozen.

The mutton is being sold at Rs 700 per kg while chicken is sold at Rs 180 per kg.

Vegetables, too, have seen price rise. Collard greens are priced Rs 80-100 per kilogram, while green peas cost Rs 80. The failure of authorities to rein in the price hike has left people here frustrated.

Muhammad Yousuf, a local resident, said that it is extremely hard to manage with the little income. He said the vegetables are out of reach for a middle class family while mutton and chicken is a luxury food which people from affluent families can only afford.

“With the start of Ramadhan, the prices of essential commodities have gone too high. The irony is that there is no one to regulate these prices. People have been left at the mercy of greengrocers,” said Mohd Yousuf, a seventy year old resident of old town Baramulla.

Once tasked with stabilising prices, the Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department now stands powerless after the recent decision to deprive it of control on prices of essential commodities.

This deregulation has unleashed a wave of unchecked inflation, leaving ordinary people at the mercy of vendors and market dynamics. Consumers now find themselves navigating a market devoid of regulation. With vendors enjoying unchecked freedom to dictate prices, household budgets are under strain due to inflated grocery bills.

The locals have urged the Baramulla district administration to intervene to check the inflated prices so that a common man will feel a sigh of relief.