CM pays surprise visit to Ramzan bazaar

• Shahbaz asks DCO to ensure availability of edibles at cheaper rates

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif Friday paid a surprise visit to Township’s Ramzan Bazaar in order to review provision of quality essential items to the citizens at cheaper rate during Ramzan.

The chief minister reached the bazaar without any prior information and district administration, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) office-bearers and journalists also remained unaware of his visit.

He reviewed prices in the bazaar and talked to the people individually and enquired from them about the prices and quality of different items. He went to different stalls and checked prices and quality of necessary items, fruits and vegetables.

The people expressed satisfaction over the prices of essential items in the bazaar.

Speaking at the occasion, the chief minister said that surprise visits help in understanding the situation and identifying genuine problems of the people.

Therefore, he said, he will continue to pay surprise visits to different Ramzan bazaars in future as well to ensure the masses were being provided relief.

“The purpose of surprise visits is to review the steps taken for provision of relief to the common man and prices of essential items,” he said.

He said that no compromise will be made on the prices and quality of essential items while threatening profiteers of dire consequences in case of hoarding and black marketing.

He said that no laxity will be tolerated in the provision of relief to the masses. He said that instructions have been issued for the availability of essential items, fruits and vegetables at reasonable rate in open market as well.

He said that the quality of essential items, fruits and vegetables is better in Township’s Ramzan Bazaar and prices are also reasonable.

“The people have expressed their satisfaction over the arrangements made in this bazaar,” he said.

He directed the district coordination officer to ensure supply of necessary items at government stalls as well as private stalls in Ramzan bazaars.

He said that administration should play an active role for the provision of necessary items in sufficient quantity and there should not be shortage of any item.

The persons who had come to the bazaars for shopping while appreciating the prices and quality of necessary items requested the chief minister to continue to visit the bazaars for maintaining quality of essential items upon which the chief minister replied in positive.

He also visited Agri Fair Price Shop in the bazaar and expressing pleasure over the quality of fruits and vegetables said that the shops are helping in provision of fruits and vegetables at cheaper rate to the citizens and the system should be further improved.