Shoppers complain of high prices in 'Sasta Bazaars'

Point fingers at alleged official-trader 'collusion' in H-9 market

ISLAMABAD:

The Sasta Bazaars set up by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) in various areas of the federal capital have lost their basic spirit, with the prices of several vegetables becoming out of reach for the public.

The District Administration's Price Control Committee, the Sabzi Mandi Market Committee and the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation's DMA department have all 'miserably' failed to provide relief to the public due to weak 'checks and balances'.

Several individuals, who visited the H-9 market for shopping, told The Express Tribune on Friday that due to the lack of attention from the relevant district administration and DMA's management, tomatoes were unavailable in Sasta Bazaars, causing difficulties for the people. Moreover, there was no staff from CDA or DMA present at the Sasta Bazaar. Instead, only signboards were posted asking people to register their complaints.

They said that the stallholders claimed that tomatoes were expensive in the wholesale market, which is why they did not bring them to the bazaar for sale.

There were reports of alleged collusions among Inspectors and staff of the Sabazi Mandi Market Committee, the DMA staff and traders for showing higher wholesale prices in every auction in the market, resulting in the Sasta Bazaars also becoming expensive for the common man.

On Friday, in the H-9 market, brinjal was selling at Rs200 per kilogram, bitter gourd at Rs150 per kg, ladyfinger at Rs120 per kg, ridge gourd at Rs130 per kg, lemons at Rs646 per kg, green coriander at Rs80 per bunch, and mint at Rs20 per bunch, onions at Rs600 per five kilograms, and substandard potatoes were selling at Rs536 per five kilograms. On the other hand, green coriander, which was not even a vegetable, was selling at Rs80 per bunch, but there was no one to ask about it.

Customers alleged that every week, all the relevant departments, to hide the allegedly connived high prices, announced a lower price for one item even below the wholesale market's rate, so that people might not complain.