RAWALAKOT (Kashmir English): Sardar Tahir Farooq, President of the Poultry Association Rawalakot, has rejected the self-imposed price hike by some wholesalers and expressed concern over a parallel body of the association.
He demanded that the administration ensure the prevention of excessive price hikes and protect the public interest.
Addressing a press conference at Ghazi Millat Press Club (Registered) Rawalakot along with wholesaler Sardar Nayyar Farooq on Wednesday, he said that a few days ago, some traders and wholesalers went to the administration on the issue of rates, from there the issue was taken to the traders and it was learned that a parallel body of the Poultry Association has been announced based on this issue.
He said that there is also a process for elections, nomination papers are submitted, traders are informed, after which the voting stage or nomination takes place, but this process was not followed because there were personal interests of a few people who did this work while hiding the interests of the people, which is a condemnable move.
He said that some wholesalers want to increase the rates by establishing a personal monopoly, and their position is that in Kahuta, where the rate is 30 to 35 rupees higher than in Rawalpindi, it should be sold in Rawalakot as well, and a profit of 1800 to 2000 rupees per maund can be earned.
He said that among the rates that are open in Punjab, the rate of Kahuta is the highest. Two days ago, my car broke down, so I came to know that the rate in the city is Rs. 330 instead of Rs. 309, and when I opened my shop, everyone started charging Rs. 309.
We also offered the traders that we were ready to sell them chicken at the Rawalpindi rate, but they could not accept this offer due to blackmail by a few wholesalers.
There are many traders who are of the opinion that, since they have debts to wholesalers, they are forced to buy chicken from them.
On this occasion, he submitted a request to the District Administration/Price Control Committee regarding his concerns and showed the rates of chicken in various cities, including Rawalpindi yesterday, demanding that this issue be resolved immediately and the common people be saved from buying at high prices.
According to the copy of this request presented to the journalists, he also requested the Chairman Price Control Committee that the daily rate of poultry in Rawalakot is issued according to the Rawalpindi rate, which is very reasonable and the rate of Rawalpindi is the lowest in the whole of Punjab, while the rate of Kahuta is the highest.
Some profiteers want to issue the price list according to Kahuta, which is causing huge losses to the public. In this request, it has also been requested that the price list be determined according to the Rawalpindi rate.
He also strongly criticized the traders on this occasion that if there was a problem with rates, instead of immediately announcing a parallel body on it, they could have resolved the issues through talks, but this was not done, which reflects that personal interests are being given priority over collective interests.
Finally, while answering various questions asked by journalists, he said that the impression being given that traders are not paid their money on the basis of waste is completely wrong, although he has all the receipts that are received from the traders at the end of the year, when the money is collected.
In response to another question, he said that there are open sheds all over Pakistan. The only problem is that traders are being blackmailed by a few wholesalers and forced to sell at high prices.
