Urban development: Model Bazaar functional after six months

It is one of the six bazaars set up by the Industries Department.

LAHORE:

Six months after its set up, the Model Bazaar in Sahiwal district finally opened its gates for the customers in the first week of May.

The bazaar, that had been setup by the district government, is functional twice a week on Friday and Saturday. With 204 stalls, the bazaar has been receiving a large number of customers. The bazaar has been set up on 25 kanals at the old GTS Terminal with the cost of Rs28.3 million. It is one of the six Model Bazaars set up by the Industries Department across the province as a part of a pilot project.

There is a utility store in its premises, vegetable and fruits sections and other household items including clothes.

A mobile van of the National Database Registration Authority has also been made available where citizens can not only get registered for a CNIC, but also get information.

District government has also installed seating and water facilities as well as swings for children accompanying their elders. A parking lot has also been set up where visitors are not charged any parking fee.

Prices at the bazaar are regularly monitored by some eight to 10 city government officers who have also set up their stalls at the bazaars.

A district government official said that the vendors had been issued a price list. He said strict action will be taken in case of over charging.

Two of these bazaars were established in Lahore with 761 stalls each in Green Town and Township, while one each was set up in Gujranwala (550 stalls), Bahawalpur (210 stalls), Rawalpindi (200 stalls) and now Sahiwal (204 stalls). As many as Rs246 million was spent on setting up the six bazaars.

District Coordination Officer Zulifqar Ahmed Ghumman said that they have been waiting for some guidelines from the Industries Department, after which the bazaars were made functional.

Another district government officer said they were waiting to complete all the arrangements to accommodate the shopkeepers and the customers.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Rehmat Ali, a customer, lauded the city government’s efforts of setting up a play place and a parking area. He said the bazaar was clean and well organised. He hoped it will remain the same.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 29^th, 2012.