Profiteers fix kerosene price at will

Rawalpindi :Kerosene oil is one of the major sources of fire for those having no access to natural gas. They cannot afford the expensive Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) either. They obviously belong to the poor class. They have thus to fall back on kerosene oil which should be available for Rs44 per litre. However dealers and retailers (‘robbers’ is more appropriate word) are selling it at unbelievably exorbitant rate of Rs105-120 per litre, thus earning huge profit right under the nose of powers that be.

Nobody has bothered to notice this plunder. Official machinery has perhaps closed its eyes to this. Profiteers are fixing the kerosene oil price at will and sell the same without any prick of conscience. 

The poor belonging to different walks of life have appealed to the prime minister, chief minister and chief justice of Pakistan to take deterrent action against profiteers who are looting them for years.

“We don’t have gas connection, we are using different sources for cooking and heating like LPG, fire wood and kerosene oil. But, price of kerosene oil skyrocketing,” said Muhammad Nouman, a resident of Gulistan Colony.

He said that more than 50 per cent people are yet deprived of the facility of natural gas in homes therefore we are using different sources of fire. But, we are paying more and more to get sources of fire which is not affordable now, he said. 

Ahmed Nawaz Butt a painter said, “I am a painter dealing with kerosene oil in routine. Kerosene oil was used in colours and paint but its price is increasing day in and day out. It is difficult to afford it,” he denounced.

Kerosene Oil Retailers Association (KORA) Rawalpindi representatives have admitted that we are selling 1-litre kerosene oil at higher rates because we are purchasing commodity at high rates. The dealers provide us 1-litre kerosene oil for Rs85 to Rs90, therefore, we are selling commodity at higher prices, they claimed.

The commodity is selling in privately owned oil agencies and hardware shops.

Assistant Commissioner (Rawalpindi) Tasleem Ali Khan said that they were continuously visiting oil agencies to grab profiteers. “We have registered FIRs against profiteers as well. Very soon, we will launch a big crackdown against oil agencies to arrest profiteers,” he warned. 

‘The News’ has learnt that there were more than 2,500 private oil agencies in Rawalpindi city and cantonment boards localities. The oil agencies are running even in residential localities where public is facing low to zero gas pressure even in summer. Kerosene oil is a good source of energy but it was used in some other works as well. The privately running oil agencies are looting public here at Dhoke Ratta, Adiala Road, Defence Road, Talhi Mohri, Bakramandi, Dhoke Syedan, Lalkurti, Dhoke Banaras, Chungi no. 22, Adra, Tench Bhatta, Mughalabad, Mehrabad, Tehmasabad, Pirwadhai, Ganjmandi, Dhoke Mangtal, Kohati Bazaar, Kashmiri Bazaar, Asghar Mall, Eidgha Road, Jamia Masjid Road, Sadiqabad, Muslim Town, Morgha, Tipu Road, Muhallah Naik Alam, Railway Road, Range Road, Chur, Allahabad, Misriyal Road, Jhanda Chichi, Garibabad, Mohanpura, Chamanzar and several other localities where sellers selling kerosene oil at Rs105-120 per litre.

Article source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/231273-Profiteers-fix-kerosene-price-at-will