Citizens faced huge problems on Tuesday due to non-availability of fresh vegetables and fruits after closure of the Model Town market while prices of these products also increased around 10 to 20 percent. Daily wagers also missed their wage while consumers were compelled to eat rotten vegetables.
Surrounding areas of the Model Town market including Township, Johar Town, Garden Town, Ghaziabad, Naseerabad, Green Town and WAPDA Town faced problems of supplies of fruits and vegetables. The Model Town market used to supply vegetables to southern parts of the city while the Badami Bagh market used to cover northern parts of the city.
Closure of the Model Town market has affected the distribution system and consumers had to use rotten vegetables. Supplies in northern parts of the city were also disturbed slightly due to a burden from the southern side. A large number of vegetable sellers had to move to the northern market for purchasing vegetables, which increased transportation charges.
“I had to buy vegetables from the Badami Bagh market and paid double charges for transportation, as transportation charges from the Model Town market are Rs 500 while from Badami Bagh I had to pay Rs 900,” vegetable trader Muhammad Asghar said adding that it caused an increase in vegetable and fruit prices. “When I was buying vegetables from the Model Town market, I used to sell onions for Rs 16 per kilogramme but now its price was Rs 18 to 20 per kilogramme due to increase in transportation charges,” he added.
Another vegetable retail-seller Ahmed Hassan of Green Town said that he did not go to the market for buying vegetables and closed his shop. “A large number of vegetable sellers had to face problems due to closure of the Model Town market, as I could not earn due to closure of my shop,” he lamented. He said that the Punjab government did not think about the poor and took wrong decisions. “I used to earn Rs 500 to 600 in a day by selling vegetables but there was no income on Tuesday,” he added.
Another vegetable seller Akram Khan said that prices of vegetables have increased 10 to 20 percent. “There has been a price increase of every vegetable like onion, potatoes, garlic, ginger, spinach, ladyfinger, cauliflower and others due to shortage of supplies,” he added. Consumers said that that they could not get fresh products and ate rotten vegetables and fruits at a very high price.
“I have visited many vegetable sellers and asked them about fresh products but no one had it and ultimately I had to buy old vegetables at higher prices,” consumer Abdul Jabbar at the Johar Town market said adding that the Punjab government should look into implications of every step before doing anything.
“Policymakers never think about the outcome of their steps and as a result, people have to suffer badly,” he lamented. Housewife Iram Baig said that she purchased vegetables at higher rates than usual. “Prices of every vegetable and fruit were higher than routine,” she added.
