Blessed month: Vendors found fleecing the people to spend time behind bars

Announcements follow in wake of public outcry

LAHORE: Following a public outcry over the spike in commodity prices and paucity of quality fruit and vegetables across the city, the government on Thursday announced to imprison hoarders and profiteers for a minimum of three days.

Food Minister Bilal Yasin told journalists that the government had decided to take stringent action against individuals involved in hoarding Ramazan essentials and profiteering. Earlier, he said, they tended to flee from police stations or obtain bail by furnishing surety bonds. Yasin said now it would be ensured that they remained in detention for a minimum of three days.

The minister said the step had been taken as the government would not allow anyone to fleece the people during the holy month. Yasin said the supply and price of commodities was stable across Ramazan Bazaars. He said the government had now decided to regulate the price of fruit, vegetables and basic necessities across the city’s open markets. Yasin further announced a Rs10 subsidy on gram pulse and gram flour across Ramazan Bazaars. The minister said the government had taken steps to ensure adequate supply of lemons across Ramazan Bazaars. Spot visits across various Ramazan Bazaars by The Express Tribune indicated towards somewhat of an improvement. A limited amount of lemons were available across all the sites. Most happened to be mediocre produce.

The sale of mutton and beef has commenced across most Ramazan Bazaars including those in Model Town, Garden Town and Wahdat Road. Mutton was being offered for sale at Rs600 per kilogramme and beef for Rs280. Poultry rates varied across Ramazan Bazaars. In Karim Park, chicken was being sold for Rs221 per kilogramme at a government stall while it was being sold for Rs231 per kilogramme. Those manning government stalls said the difference in chicken size explained the price discrepancy.

Agriculture Minister Farrukh Javed said lemons were not in season, when asked about the paucity of the fruit. However, he said, the government had managed to satisfy demand with imported lemon varieties. Javed said lemons were being sold at Rs180 per kilogramme to Rs186 across Ramazan Bazaars. The same, he said, were being sold for Rs250 in the open market.

Javed said those involved in profiteering would be jailed. He said zero tolerance would be showed to those who flouted the law. He said the government had been striving to ensure the supply of eatables at subsidised rates province-wide. Javed said agriculture fair price shops had been extending succour to the common man.

A monitoring report released on Thursday revealed that price control magistrates had conducted raids across 200 shops and markets province-wide. They arrested 164 traders, collected over Rs157,000 in fines and registered 72 FIRs.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10^th, 2016.