While the Ramzan Bazaars established by the Punjab government to provide subsidised commodities to the citizens are functioning according to the plan, the shopkeepers in the open market are rampant in charging the inflated prices in the Ravi Town, Pakistan Today observed in a survey of the area.
Talking to this scribe, Nasreen Akhtar, a shopper at the main Bazaar of Delhi Gate said that dates are the most important ingredient of this holy month and this very product is being sold at the rate of more than Rs 250 in the open market. According to the rate set by the City District Government (CDGL) Lahore, dates must be sold between Rs 125 to 160 per kilogram but the street vendors are selling dates according to their own set price.
“The prices in Europe decrease when Christmas inches closer but it in Pakistan, the price of everything shoots up during Ramzan,” she said.
Another shopper from Badami Bagh main bazaar, Usman Ahmad said that one cannot go to Ramzan bazaars daily and therefore, one has to buy the fruits and vegetables from the open market. “In the open market, the plum is being sold at the rate of Rs 250 to 300 per kg depending on the quality of the fruit while the price of per kg is notified as Rs 170 by the CDGL,” he said, while demanding a stern action against the profiteers.
The CDGL has established three Ramzan bazaars in Begam Kot, Delhi Gate and Badami Bagh area of Ravi Town. The shoppers are satisfied with the arrangements of Ramzan bazaars but they demanded the same price control mechanism in the open market as well.
Assistant Incharge at the Begam Kot Ramzan Bazaar Muhammad Asif told this scribe that the ratio of complaints is very low in his Ramzan bazaar as no shopkeeper can even think to charge more than the notified price. “The shoppers come to us with petty complaints and these are addressed on the spot,” he said.
According to the official rate, the price of banana is between Rs 90 to 100 but in open market, it is being sold at a price of Rs 150 to 200 depending on the condition of the fruit. When a vendor at Shahdra Chowk asked why he is charging more for banana? He replied that the quality of his fruit is better than the products of Ramzan bazaar and the ultimate decision of buying rests with the shopper.
A meeting was held this week under the chair of Punjab Additional Chief Secretary Shumail Ahmad Khawaja in which he directed the administration to take action in a bid to stop the profiteering from the open market.
The District Coordination Officer (DCO) Captain (r) Muhammad Usman said that the district administration has launched a crackdown against profiteers. He said that the district administration has a rigorous mechanism for price control in the open market and it is triggered after the complaints of the shoppers.
