Srinagar, Sep 3, KNT: Continuous closure of the Srinagar-Jammu Highway has triggered a fresh wave of price rise in Kashmir markets, with consumers accusing traders of profiteering in the absence of regulatory checks.
For the last several days, the highway, the only all-weather road link between Kashmir and the outside world, has remained shut due to landslides and heavy rains. The disruption has choked supplies of essentials, providing a free hand to shopkeepers and vendors to sell at arbitrary rates.
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In local markets across Srinagar and adjoining districts, a tray of eggs that cost Rs 170 earlier this week is now being sold for Rs 220. Similarly, prices of vegetables and fruits have gone up steeply. Tomatoes that were retailing at Rs 50 per kilogram are being sold for Rs 80, while apples and bananas have also witnessed sudden hikes.
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“We are being looted in broad daylight. Traders are minting money on the pretext of highway closure, but where are the officials who are supposed to regulate the market?” asked Muhammad Ashraf, a resident of downtown Srinagar.
Shopkeepers, however, put the blame on wholesalers. “Supplies are stuck on the highway and we are being forced to buy stock at higher rates from distributors. We have no option but to sell at a profit margin,” said a shopkeeper in Batamaloo.
Despite repeated public complaints, there has been little sign of market inspection squads on the ground. Many consumers said that the absence of accountability has left them at the receiving end every time the highway is closed. [KNT]
