Price regulations are needed
The colourful shopfronts glowing under festive lights as crowds fill the markets on the eve of Eid festival, the Valley’s bazaars are once again reflecting the warmth, excitement and tradition ahead of the festive days.
With just a few days left for Eid celebrations, markets across Kashmir have witnessed an impressive footfall which was otherwise missing for many months now.
Though the sales still remain a concern, but Eid markets in Kashmir traditionally peak at the last moment and hopefully this year as well, the season turns out to be good.
With less than a week to go before the festival of Eid is celebrated in Kashmir markets have begun buzzing with activity as traders roll out bumper discounts and festive sales, drawing shoppers in large numbers.
After witnessing a relatively slow start to the festive season, shopkeepers across the Valley have introduced attractive offers on garments, footwear, cosmetics and household items, prompting a surge in footfall in major markets.
However, a major concern that has been worrying the shoppers is the escalation in prices and least market regulations visible on ground.
As the festival approaches, mutton and Chicken prices across Kashmir have shot up sharply, with consumers alleging that butchers and chicken are selling meat well above the government-fixed rate.
The administration has fixed the retail price of mutton at Rs 700 per kilogram, but in many markets across Srinagar and other parts of the Valley, residents say it is being sold between Rs 750 and Rs 800 per kg, drawing resentment from customers already grappling with rising living costs.
Similarly, prices of chicken too have witnessed a sharp increase from 140 Rs a kilo to Rs 160 a kilo in just few days.
Mutton is an essential part of Eid meals across Kashmir, but these prices are too high. For a big family, buying even three or four kilograms proves an uphill task. Notably, Kashmir is among the highest mutton-consuming regions in the country. According to trade estimates, the Valley consumes around 25,000 to 30,000 tonnes of mutton annually, reflecting the deep cultural and culinary bond with meat dishes.
During Eid festivities, the demand increases significantly as thousands of sheep are brought into the Valley from different states to meet the surge in consumption.
However, the escalation in prices means that many a families will miss the meat dishes during the meals.
Similarly, the cost of other eatables and fruits too is witnessing a surge in prices and the situation will turn even worse during the coming few days as more and more shoppers will move out in the streets to get their products of choice for the festival celebrations.
What is needed right now is that the administration needs to get active and market checking is intensified so that the consumers do not feel the heat during these troubling times, especially when war crisis in the middle east has already scared the people owing to rise in the prices of LPG and fuel.
