Blessed month: Food minister inspects Ramazan Bazaars

Supply of quality products ensured, Yasin says

LAHORE: The Punjab government has entrusted ministers, advisers and MPAs with the task of monitoring of Ramazan Bazaars province-wide.

The City District Government Lahore (CDGL) has already setup 31 Ramazan Bazaars across the city to ensure the smooth supply of necessities at subsidised rates. Food Minister Bilal Yasin said on Saturday that the government was giving a Rs5 billion subsidy on 19 necessities for the people’s welfare. The minister made the remarks while inspecting arrangements across the Shadman, Gulshan-i-Ravi, Karim Park and Delhi Gate Ramazan Bazaars.

Yasin said the government had ensured the supply of quality products at subsidised rates during the holy month. He said the government had tried its best to facilitate the people as much as possible during Ramazan.  Yasin said tents and marquees had been installed across Ramazan Bazaars. He said special arrangements had been made for seating people across Ramazan Bazaars. Yasin said parking and security arrangements had been revamped there.



The minister said all TMAs had been directed to monitor the supply of quality eatables. He said the government would not compromise when it came to this. Yasin said no one would be permitted to fleece the people by offering products for sale at inflated rates.

Lahore DCO Muhammad Usman said all Ramazan Bazaars had been functioning since Friday. He said authorities had been trying to further improve arrangements before Ramazan commenced to avoid inconveniencing the people. Usman said the government had constituted various committees to monitor Ramazan Bazaar operations from procurement of commodities to their supply and sale at subsidised rates. These committees would also monitor product quality and prices across Ramazan Bazaars, he said.

Highlighting the subsidy distribution mechanism, Usman said the government would procure quality products from the market and sell them at the price of products of inferior quality. He said authorities would monitor auctions and ensure only quality products were sold across Ramazan Bazaars. This, Usman said, would dispel the misconception that low-quality products were sold across Ramazan Bazaars. The DCO directed pertinent officials to improve security arrangements at the Shadman Ramazan Bazaar. He ordered CCTV cameras to be installed there.

Excise and Taxation Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman has been entrusted with the responsibility of monitoring Ramazan Bazaar operations across Lahore. Over 330 Ramazan Bazaars and 25 Model Bazaars have been established province-wide by the government.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 5^th, 2016.