The recent sharp increase in the prices of petroleum products by Rs 55 per liter by the government has created a new and severe wave of inflation across the country.
According to details received from different areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the effects of this sudden increase in the prices of petrol and diesel are directly beyond the reach of the common man, which has made the lives of the people miserable.
As soon as petroleum products become expensive, transport fares have increased by 20 to 30 percent in all the small and big cities of the country, including Khyber. Due to the increase in transportation costs, the prices of flour, sugar, pulses and ghee have started skyrocketing. According to market surveys, an extraordinary increase has been recorded in the prices of lentils, chickpeas, pulses and other basic commodities, due to which buyers are forced to return empty-handed from the markets.
Citizens who came to shop in local markets of Khyber expressed their anger and said, “Expenses were already at a peak due to Ramadan, now this petrol bomb has made up for it.” The increase in rents has wiped out the daily savings of the workers.
Heavy electricity bills and now petrol prices have made it impossible to manage the kitchen budget. The district administration claims that they are taking action against high-priced vendors, however, the trading community maintains that when the fare of the trucks bringing the goods has doubled, they cannot bear the loss by selling the goods at the old prices.
Government sources say that this bitter sip had to be taken due to the ongoing tension in the Middle East and the increase in crude oil prices in the global market, after which the price of petrol has now reached Rs 321.17 and the price of diesel has reached Rs 335.86 per liter.
The public has demanded that the government immediately reduce the petroleum levy and ensure the supply of flour, sugar and pulses at affordable prices at utility stores so that the poor can eat their two-time bread peacefully.a
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