USC hikes food items' rates despite Rs5b Ramazan package.

ISLAMABAD -- Despite the federal governAment's Rs 5 billion Ramazan relief package, rates of pulsAes at Utility Stores CorporaAtion (USC) have gone up by Rs23.76 per kg comparing to the open market.

The prices of pulses at utility stores have increased from the average open market rates, despite the payment of Rs 20 per kg subsidy by the governAment on daals (lentils) at USC, official documents available with The Nation reveals.

The price of white gram at USC outlets is Rs 23.76 per kg or 6.40 percent higher than the open market. White gram is available at utility stores for Rs 395 per kg while in the open market it costs Rs 371.24 per kg, said the documents.

Similarly, the price of daal masoor is Rs 8.45 per kg or 3.06 percent higher at utility stores as compared with the open market. The price of daal masoor is Rs 285 per kg at utilAity stores and Rs 276.55 per kg in the open market, while daal chana is available for Rs 255 per kg at utility stores, which is Rs 2.08 or 0.82 percent exApensive than the open market rate of Rs 252.92 per kg.

The differences among some other commodities prices beAtween at the utility stores and open market is also narrow and the consumers are not getting a big relief. For...