|
||||||||||||||||||
Ramadan (Ramzan) full of hardship for some residentsOT, July 27, 2012 19:34 IST Okhla Times Reporter/Okhla 
Fasting for some Okhla residents has become difficult due to humid weather and rising food inflation. At the end of the day their energies are sapped by the horrid weather. Besides, the rising prices of fruits are eating into their monthly income. To save money and run their family many residents have switched on to frugal Iftar with a few fruits on their menu. Nayyar Ahmed, who survives on a monthly salary of Rs 20 thousand, told OKHLA TIMES that he cannot afford to buy fruits whose prices in the past few days have hit the roof. “I don’t know how to manage my budget this Ramzan. I had other ideas but now I think I won’t be able to save enough money from my salary at the end of the month to buy gifts for my parents and relatives. Prices of fruits have gone up. In the last few days it has just doubled.” Papaya that was earlier being sold at Rs 25 is being sold at Rs 50. Prices of other fruits including banana (Rs 40-60), mango (Rs 70 to 100), have gone up. Even dates are getting at expensive rates. Another resident Nasimur Rahman said it is better not to talk about it. “Yesterday for the first time in seven days I thought to have apple on my menu and went to a nearby shop. But I gave up the idea to buy it because it was expensive and beyond my resource. The prices are so high that a middle class man cannot relish a lavish and sumptuous Iftar anymore,” he said. Many residents agree with Rahman. What surprises them the most is that despite the mushrooming of temporary shops of fruits all over Jamia Nagar and fruit prices staying static in the wholesale market of Okhla Mandi, the prices of fruits continue to rise. Rashad said: “It looks that for many people Ramzan is the month to make money. Yesterday only I bought a date packet for Rs 120 from Julaina. The same brand of date was available for Rs 125 to 130 in Abul Fazal Enclave. Interestingly, at Okhla Head I found that a vendor was selling it for Rs 100. I was surprised to see such a difference in rate? You must have noticed that many residents in Zakir Nagar, Batla House and AFE are buying one apple or a small amount of fruits to get the required calories at the end of the day.” With no control over prices of fruits vendors have a field day. These people (most of them Muslim) don’t even think twice before they fleece their brothers in the Holy month of Ramzan, claimed Rahman. Those who have money are not hesitating in purchasing expensive fruits. But middle-class people like Nayyar and Rahman have to be content with frugal Iftar. And the poor are surviving on the bare minimum. Post a comment Top News
| ||||||||||||||||||
 |
