Flour, sugar, meat missing from Ramazan Bazaars

LAHORE: The city administration was unable to set up stalls selling flour, sugar and red meat at most Ramazan Bazaars at the start of the holy month on Thursday.

Several shoppers at crowded bazaars had come specifically to buy sugar, flour or meat, but were forced to turn back empty handed.

“I came at 2pm and waited till 6pm but the sugar stalls remained empty,” said Farzana Bibi at a Ramazan Bazaar in Shadman, Data Gunj Bakhsh Town. “I complained to an official of the market committee but he was not interested.”

Raza Hassan, a shopper at a Ramazan Bazaar in Shalamar Town, was disgusted at the lack of meat and flour. “These Ramazan Bazaars are just a political stunt or a practical joke at the common man’s expense,” he said. The official in charge of the complaint centre at Data Gunj Bakhsh Town said that the men assigned to run the stalls were on their way and would start selling shortly.

But Ali Hasan, a market committee member, later conceded that the stalls would not be open till Friday. “CDGL officials are already overburdened with flood relief activities,” he said.

A price control magistrate said the district coordination officer had been informed of the problems and was confident that flaws in the setting up of the bazaars would be ironed out soon. Under the Ramazan contingency plan 2010, the CDGL has established 21 Ramazan Bazaars in nine towns. Aziz Bhatti Town has 3 Ramazan Bazaars at Sunday Bazaar Ghaziabad, Tajpura Scheme, UC-57; Chungi Dugaich, Guldashat Colony, UC-60; and Nishat Colony Ground, RA Bazaar.

Ravi Town hosts two Ramazan Bazaars at Begum Kot Chowk, Sheikhupura Road; and outside Delhi Gate, Circular Road.

Shalamar Town has two Ramazan Bazaars, at Wahdat Colony near Football Ground; and at Gulshan Ravi. Wahga Town houses one Ramazan Bazaar at the main GT Jallo Mor, UC-51 (Dograin Kalan).

Data Gunj Buksh Town hosts Ramazan Bazaars at Shadman and Islampura. Gulberg Town has 3 Ramazan Bazaars at Model Town near Pace, Mandi Singhpura and Mecca Colony.

Allama Iqbal Town has four Ramazan Bazaars, at Mian Plaza Johar Town, Township Mian Bazar, Raiwind Bazar Town Committee and Fawara Chowk, Sabzazar.

Nishter Town has Ramazan Bazaars at Sunday Bazar Green Town and Nishter Colony.

According to the official price list, the wholesale price of gram flour is Rs58 per kilo and retail price is Rs62 per kilo; Rice Super (New) is Rs55-Rs62 per kilo (wholesale) and Rs57-Rs64 per kilo (retail); Rice (386) is Rs35-Rs40 (wholesale) and Rs37-Rs42 (retail); Pulse (channa) is Rs52-Rs57 and Rs54-Rs60; Pulse (masoor) is Rs92-Rs110 and Rs94-Rs112; Pulse (maash unwashed) is Rs152-Rs160 and Rs154-Rs162; Pulse (moong washed) is Rs90-Rs100 and Rs92-Rs105.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 13^th, 2010.