The city district government has approved establishment of bazaars where fresh and quality eatables will be available at subsidised rates during the holy month of Ramadan.
The approval for special Ramadan bazaars has been given following the directives of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
14 Ramadan bazaars will be established at Committee Chowk in front of Nawaz Sharif Park, Dhoke Kala Khan, Chungi Number 22, Chohr Chowk and near Liaquat Bagh where edibles of standard quality will be sold from the first day of Ramadan.
The Ramadan bazaars will sell commodities at rates 15 to 30 percent lower than the open market prices.
A meeting has been called in the next week under the chairmanship of Rawalpindi DCO Saqib Zafar to set prices of certain products in consultation with traders, officers of the Revenue Department, representatives of Merchants Association, Flour mills dealers and meat sellers.
To ensure availability of commodities at the decided rates, the officers of the Revenue Department will be assigned temporary powers of price magistrates.
They will monitor the Ramadan bazaars and also raid those selling goods at prices higher than the specified rates.
It is likely that utility stores will also lessen the prices of commodities of daily use by 15 to 35 percent.
