The Ramadan Sasta Bazaars, which were established to provide quality food items to the public at uniform and cheap rates, seem to have failed as prices of food and vegetables remained different in various bazaars on Thursday.
Prices of many commodities including onions, potatoes and tomatoes were not the same at Sasta Ramadan Bazaars in the provincial capital. Customer Mrs Khalid at the Wahdat Colony Ramadan Bazaar complained that onions were being sold at Rs 20 per kilogramme while her relative had brought the same commodity at Rs 17 from the Shadman Ramadan Bazaar. She said it was discrimination against the people that prices were different at these bazaars. Customers demanded the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) set uniform prices at all bazaars.
According to sources, prices fluctuated in various towns because of different transportation charges. After chicken prices were raised from Rs 207 to 230 per kilogrammes at Sasta Ramadan Bazaars on Thursday, the shortage of chicken ended. According to sources, there was a deadlock on sale prices of chicken between poultry traders and the CDGL, which finished after both parties agreed on higher prices. The quality and prices of other food items at Ramadan Bazaars remained satisfactory with a few complaints, which were resolved by the Town Municipal Administration (TMA) staff on the spot.
On the other hand, some vegetables, including tomatoes, disappeared from many Ramadan Bazaars.
Mangoes were sold at Rs 65 per kg while prices of bananas, apples and grapes were Rs 60, Rs 70 to 100 and Rs 130 per kg respectively. Potatoes, onions, lady-fingers and pumpkins were sold at Rs 14, Rs 17, Rs 28 and Rs 23 per kg respectively. Prices of daal chana, sugar and rice remained stable at Rs 60, Rs 68 and Rs 56 to 72 per kg respectively. Despite complaints about a few things, people coming to Ramadan Bazaars appreciated the security arrangements and traffic plans.
Motorcyclist Anjum Khan said he was amazed to see such good arrangements by a public department. “We have an experience of Sunday Bazaars where everything used to be disorganised and one would be stuck there for hours because of poorly arranged stalls and an improper traffic plan. But these bazaars are exemplary in this regard,” he observed.
