Srinagar, Mar 15: As the festival of Eid-ul-Fitr approaches, consumers across Kashmir on Sunday expressed concern over rise in prices of essential commodities, including bakery items, mutton, poultry, fruits, vegetables, and garments in the valley’s markets.
Several customers alleged that wholesalers and retailers have increased prices arbitrarily ahead of the festival, making Eid shopping difficult for many people.
Khursheed Ahmad Wani, a customer from Baramulla district, said he recently travelled to Srinagar for Eid shopping but returned empty-handed due to high prices.
“Just a day ago, I visited Srinagar to buy clothes for my children. We went to various markets around Local Chowk and adjoining areas, but we could not purchase anything as shopkeepers had increased the prices as per their own choice,” Wani said.
He alleged that there is no fixed price regulation for garments in the markets, which allows shopkeepers to charge customers arbitrarily.
“The government has never introduced any kind of price regulation for garment shops. Because of this, many shopkeepers are looting customers in the name of Eid shopping across the Valley,” he said.
Another customer, Sumeera Jan from Srinagar, said that prices of fruits and vegetables had already increased since the beginning of Ramadan and have risen further as Eid approaches.
“Every year the same situation emerges before Eid. Prices go up, and there is hardly any checking in markets,” she said, adding that the rising costs are putting additional pressure on household budgets.
Faizan Ahmad from Budgam district also echoed similar concerns. He said customers often receive dismissive responses when they question shopkeepers about the price hikes. “When we ask shopkeepers why the prices have been increased, they simply tell us to visit another shop,” he said.
Faizan added that Eid is a festival during which people usually buy clothes, bakery items, meat and other essentials, but the soaring prices have made it difficult for many to afford these items.
“Because of the rising prices in the markets, many people are unable to afford these goods. As a result, they avoid buying many items that are usually purchased for Eid celebrations,” he said.
The people have also urged the elected government and the concerned administration to conduct market inspections and regulate prices to prevent overcharging. They said strict monitoring of markets ahead of major festivals is necessary to protect consumers from exploitation.
Director, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA), Kashmir, could not be reached for comments despite repeated calls from this newspaper.
