The consumers across the Ganderbal district have complained about the soaring prices of essential commodities including vegetables, fruits, chicken and mutton during the holy month of Ramadhan. The locals from almost all the areas of the district including Tehsil Gund, Kangan, Ganderbal, Safapora and other areas said that the prices of essential commodities especially the vegetables, fruits, chicken have sharply increased in the holy month of Ramadhan here, accusing the authorities of failing to check and regulate the prices. A consumer from Kangan said that watermelon are sold at Rs 80-100 per kilogram, Mangoes at 300 per kg while grapes are sold at Rs 250-300 per kg. “It is unfortunate that the authorities have failed to control prices and act against the hoarders and black marketers,” Local Resident of Ganderbal said. The people said the authorities should put in place strict measures to check profiteering and take action against erring shopkeepers and traders. People used to say that if they couldn’t buy mutton or chicken, they would manage by eating vegetables, but today it appears that the poor can’t afford both,” said Sajad Ahmad, a local resident. However, the shopkeepers have a different story to tell. “We get the supply from wholesale distributors and we get it from higher rates from them,” said a shopkeeper Adil Ahmad, adding that the authorities should regulate prices at their level as we are bound to sell it as per the rates with some margin. An official said that the market checking teams have been conducting checking in different markets to check the prices of essential commodities in Ganderbal district .