SRINAGAR: Prices of almost essential food items, especially vegetables, fruits, oil and flour, have sharply increased in the markets of Kashmir. People are blaming the administration for failing to keep a check on prices of essential commodities during the lockdown period.

People from various districts in Kashmir said that since the lockdown was imposed, vegetable sellers and groceries have raised prices as per their wish. People said that prices of onion, potato, tomato, rice, mustard oil, flour, pulses and sugar have all skyrocketed.

A person who was going around selling vegetables in an auto-rickshaw in Budgam said that he had bought the vegetables from the Parimpora mandi at high rates on Wednesday. “I am only earning two to three rupees per kilogram,” he said.

A group of vegetables sellers in Budgam said that the prices are high because the rates have increased in the wholesale mandis.

Basheer Ahmad Basheer, President of the Parimpora Fruit Mandi, said on this matter, “We are selling vegetables and fruits at wholesale rates to the retailers. Earlier there was a shortage of supplies in the mandi but trucks have now arrived.”

Director of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumers Affairs (FCS&CA), Bashir Ahmad Khan told Kashmir Reader that the department is checking markets on regular basis and is taking strict action against those selling at high rates.

“In the other districts our department employees in collaboration with the district administration and legal metrology department are checking the markets,” Khan said.

ARIF RASHID