Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Khalid Iqbal
Rawalpindi
Prices of candles have registered a sharp increase in just two days in the city. A large candle is being sold at Rs22 against Rs15, a medium size candle is selling at Rs14 against Rs10 and a small candle is selling at Rs12 against Rs8.
According to a survey conducted by ‘The News,’ two big candles are needed in a home during loadshedding hours everyday. “How could I purchase two big candles for Rs44 every day,” Ramzan Anwar, a milkman, told ‘The News’ on Monday.
Malik Amjad Nawaz, doing candle business, said that due to high demand prices of candles have jumped. “We cannot meet the demand of wholesalers and shopkeepers these days. We bring candle-making material from Lahore, Kasur, Faisalabad, Peshawar and Multan and transportation cost has increased,” he said. Poor people could not purchase emergency lights as their prices range between Rs1,200 to Rs1,500.
Dr. Malik Yaseen said that he purchases candles for his clinic every day due to long spells of loadshedding. Amna Khatoon, a school principal, said that the amount of electricity bills is the same. She said that she was using electricity for 16 hours rather than 24 hours and braving eight-hour loadshedding everyday. “But I have to pay the same electricity bill of Rs2,000 to Rs2,500 every month,” she said.
http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=113687