Hyderabad: Fruit prices in city soar, turn festive season sour

Hyderabad: With the onset of Ramzan season, fruit prices in the city markets shot up to hit the sky while merchants simply hide under the gripe of fuel price hike.

The first day of Ramzan shopping at different fruit markets in the city left people feeling audible gasp finding the prices of fruits jumping many fold out of the blue. Almost all varieties of fruits were offered at a high price on Sunday at several markets much to the chagrin of people already sulking under the fuel price hike.

"Only two days ago I bought grapes at a price of Rs.50 a kg. However, much to the surprise the price of juice fruit jumped to Rs.20 extra. Similarly, other fruits too are offered at higher prices. I wonder what has happened in the last 24 hours that forced merchants to hike the prices to such a high regardless of the economic doom the citizens are facing in the wake of whipping inflation," bemoaned Ramesh Kumar of Attapur. "The fruits that were offered at reasonable price just a day ahead of the onset of Ramzan season are now being sold at higher rate at various fruit markets;it is completely unjust. Though all classes are affected by the fuel price increase, merchants are portraying themselves as primary victims for the heck of it," felt Syed Iftekhar Hussaini of Nampally.

Stressing that "there should be a regular monitoring of the fruit prices in the city to deter wayward merchants from fleecing gullible people in markets, Srinivas Harkara, senior advocate and founder of the City of Terrace Gardens (CTG), said "the regulatory authorities should ensure that no merchant fix prices by taking advantage of festive season, as people are forced to pull up extra cash from their pocket."

"Moreover, he said, it should also be ensured that no pesticide-induced fruits are allowed to be sold at city markets, as it happens during festive seasons. Allowing the chemical-induced fruits into markets would pose a grave.