LARKANA: Inflation continues to haunt the poor as all items of daily use have gone sky-rocketing beyond the reach of poverty-ridden labourers, daily wagers and those who rely on their salaries.

A market survey on Monday in and around Larkana showed that the prices of essential items of daily use have been increased by the wholesalers and retailers, including shopkeepers, profiteers and hoarders, to a level where a poor man is unable to feed his children three times meals and Market Committee authorities are hiding their skins at their homes, the rulers and district administrations are mum which has multiplied the issues.

A daily wager is earning Rs500 after sizzling hot days’ labour but he cannot buy a kilogram of fish which is sold at Rs500 per kg, meat at Rs700 per kg, mutton at Rs1600 per kg, sugar at Rs100 per kg, rice between 90 to 250 kg, ghee at Rs550 kg, cooking oil between Rs450 to 650 per liter, wheat flour at Rs90 per kg, mango at Rs150 per kg, onions at Rs100 per kg, tomatoes at Rs100 per kg, chicken at Rs500 per kg, Dahi at Rs200 per kg, eggs at Rs180 per dozen, Okra at Rs200 per kg, bitter gourd at Rs200 per kg, potatoes at Rs60 per kg, Ridged at Rs150 per kg and hair oil at Rs540 kg.

Former president of Larkana Chamber of Commerce, Abdul Ghaffar Shaikh when contacted said that 40% increase has been recorded in vegetable prices and pulses which the poor are using in the country. He said either the poor will commit suicides or they will cut their three meals to two or once a day like medicines.

He said rates of medicines have also gone high which too has forced the masses of downtrodden areas to remain alive without using drugs. He said shopkeepers don’t sell their stocked items at the prevailing rates but when they hear an increase in the prices they also start selling at increased rates which need to be curbed. He said companies are not booking orders in the hope that prices will further soar and they will earn more profits which will ultimately hit the poor and corrupt have nothing to do with the massive price hike.