News
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Fuel strain too much to stand
Staff Report
RAWALPINDI: The recent hike in fuel prices has badly affected the public as they find themselves helpless in managing their kitchen budget after a sudden increase in the petrol prices on the very first day of New Year.
The continuous price hike has already reduced the purchasing power of people while the government on the start of the New Year gave a blow to them by increasing the petrol price and the common man is struggling to intact his body and soul relation.
A survey conducted by Daily Times revealed that the sudden and unprecedented hike in petrol price has left the people nowhere.
Due to gas load-shedding and the high LPG prices, the low income people used kerosene oil for cooking but the sudden increase of more than Rs 4 in the price of kerosene oil has further added to the miseries of the people.
Zulehan, a resident of Sadiqabad told this scribe that due to electricity load-shedding they used to lit kerosene lamp as one reasonable candle now cost Rs 45 that serve the purpose for only one or two hours.
She said that due to severe gas load shedding, stoves were used to cook food but with the increase in kerosene oil price the government has also snatched this alternate from them.
She said that the worries of common man are increasing day by day but the government instead of lessening the people problems is adding fuel to fire.
Younis Khan, a transporter at Pirwadhi Bus Stand said that the transporters have no other option but to increase the fares and announcement in this regard will be made soon.
The traders at Sabzi Mandi said that the prices of the eatables would further increase due to transportation charges. Most of the people were of the opinion that the skyrocketing prices of fuel has shattered their hopes about the democratic systems as the ruling class instead of cutting down their extravagance expenditures is putting all the burden on the poor masses.
Pakistan Economy Watch President Dr Murtaza Mughal commenting on the price hike said that the trickled down affects of unjustified hike in petrol price will further increase the gulf between haves and have nots.
He said that the price hike will also lead uncertainty in the society in the form of robberies; theft, dacoties and kidnapping for ransom and the poor people are an easy pray for the terrorists networks. Dr Mughal said that it seems that to fulfill the IMF demands the government has increased the fuel prices without any proportion of oil prices at international level and termed it an alternate to RGST.Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk