SWABI, Aug 5: District price control committee has failed to check profiteering by the traders who are flagrantly violating official pricelist under the nose of the officials concerned.

The consumers this reporter talked to on Friday revealed that though the tehsil municipal officer had designated the staff to distribute the pricelist but there was no action against shopkeepers violating the price chart.

It is learnt that while the DCO wants the tehsil municipal administration to perform the duty of checking prices the TMO thinks that city police station has been assigned the task of enforcing the price mechanism. Resultantly, the traders are free to charge at their will.

On Friday gram flour (basin) was selling at Rs80 instead of Rs70; price of sugar had increased from Rs70 to Rs74 per kg, Dalda ghee from Rs850 to Rs990 per 5kg, tomato from Rs30 to Rs40 per kg and onion to Rs30 from Rs20kg.

“Prices of all items especially fruits that are in great demand in the month of Ramazan are increased”, says Fazal Dad, a disabled man.

Best quality mango, which was available at Rs70-80 per kg before Ramazan is now being sold at Rs90 to Rs100 per kg. Similarly, apples are being sold at Rs140 to Rs180 per kg. “The concerned authorities should keep a vigil on prices of fruits, keeping them within the reach of poor consumers,” demanded Asif Ali, a student.

The poor families have been forced to borrow money to cover the added expenses, and some of them have to sell personal belongings to meet the Ramazan expenditures.

“The absence of an effective administrative authority has given the profiteers a carte blanche to gouge the consumers”, says Amjid Ali.