28 Ramazan Bazaars, 25 fair price shops in Bahawalpur from July 18

‘140 dastarkhwans across the province will provide free sahar and iftar’.

BAHAWALPUR/ HAFIZABAD:

As many as 28 Ramazan Bazaars and 25 fair price shops will become operational in Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawalnagar from July 18.

This was announced by Bahawalpur Commissioner Muhammad Khan Khichi on Wednesday in a meeting with district coordination officers of Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar Khan. Several district administration officials from these cities were also present.

He said 140 Ramazan dastarkhwans across the province will provide free sahar and iftar meals.

He suggested the officers to devise a strategy that shortage of products do not occur at the bazaars and the dastarkhwans.

He directed the officials to ensure that rescue teams, medical aid and fire brigade is available at the bazaars to counter any accident.  He also directed the officials to ensure that the tents used to set up the stalls are of good quality.

The commissioner said control rooms would be established at district and tehsil levels to entertain complaints about their arrangements.

He said that hotels and restaurants at bus stops, railway stations and hospitals will remain closed during the day time in Ramazan. He also said women police officials will also be deployed at the Ramazan Bazaars.

He directed the Live Stock Department officers to take necessary steps to stop sale of unhygienic meat. He also directed them to issue notices to slaughterhouses to clean their facilities regularly.

Bahawalpur DCO Dr Naeem Rauf told the meeting that he had recommended to the Punjab government that a secretary each should be appointed in the bazaars so that the monitoring was effective.

Utility Stores representatives told the commissioner that Utility Stores counters will be set up at each Ramazan Bazaar.

Acting Regional Police Officer Ishaq Ahmad Jahangir said fool-proof security arrangements had been made for mosques in the district. He said that a special peace committee will be established to avoid any untoward incident at prayer congregations.

Six Bazaars in Hafizabad

Six Ramazan Bazaars and 20 dastarkhwans, 10 each in Pindi Bhattian and Hafizabad, will start functioning in Hafizabad from July 18, District Coordination Officer Muhammad Asif said on Thursday. He was speaking at a meeting to review arrangements for the Holy Month.

Seasonal vegetables, gram flour, pulses, dates and other daily-use items would be available at fair-price shops and green-channels at these Bazaars.

Besides Ramazan Bazaars, there will be seven stalls in the city where 10-kg wheat flour bags would be sold at subsidised rates during the month.

The DCO directed officials to ensure enforcement of Ahtaram-e-Ramazan Ordinance (Respect for Ramazan Ordinance) in the district. He said no restaurant would be allowed to serve food between dawn and dusk during the holy month.

Control rooms will be established in the offices of the DCO and the district police officer (DPO) to monitor arrangements for the month, including security of mosques. The DCO directed all officials to submit reports about assignments during the month to his office everyday. In Kot Momin, the tehsil administration will set up a Ramazan Bazaar and 10 dastarkhwans. TMA’s old office premises will be used for the Ramazan Bazaar. This was decided at a meeting on Thursday.

(With additional reporting from our corrospondents)

Published in The Express Tribune, July 13^th, 2012.