Ramazan plan: City govt decides 20 bazaar sites

64 free dastar khwans to be set up; LWMC to establish cleanliness camps at bazaars.

LAHORE:

The city government is to set up 20 Ramazan Bazaars selling food at controlled rates and 13 dastar khwans where fasting men and women will be able to get free meals for the holy month, which is due to start this week.

City government officials reviewed arrangements for their ‘Ramazan Plan’ at a meeting chaired by District Coordination Officer Naseem Sadiq here on Monday. Meanwhile, the Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) also finalised its plan to keep the Ramazan Bazaars clean.

The DCO said that in addition to the 13 dastar khwans to be set up around the city, free iftari will also be available at as many as 51 dastar khwans in mosques. Three special squads have been formed to take action against hoarders and those who overcharge.



A total of 99 price control magistrates will monitor the Ramazan Bazaars to ensure that essential items are being sold at the notified rates, the DCO said. Walkthrough security gates will be set up at the bazaars and police personnel and volunteers will be on guard duty, the DCO said. The city government has set up a control room at Nadir Hall, while citizens can register complaints at 042-111-293-031.

The Ramazan Bazaars are being set up at Pace Centre and Mecca Colony in Gulberg Town; at Township Model Bazaar, Kahna Nau on Ferozpur Road and Nishter Colony in Nishter Town; at Chowk Begum Kot and Dehli Gate on Circular Road in Ravi Town; near the Football Ground in Wahdat Colony and at Moon Market in Samanabad Town; at Shadman Bazaar on Kuhrsheed Road and Government College for Women Islampura in Data Ganj Bakhsh Town; at Johar Town’s Mian Plaza, Raiwind Committee Model Bazaar and Sabzazar Model Bazaar in Iqbal Town; at Jallo Mor on GT Road and UC-51 Do Gauge Kalan in Wagha Town; at Tajpura Sunday Bazaar and Chungi Do Gauge in Aziz Bhatti Town; and at the Chowk Shalimar parking ground and Shadbagh Gol Ground in Shalimar Town.

Cleaning plan

The LWMC announced that it would set up cleanliness and awareness camps at each of the 20 Ramazan Bazaars in the city.

Sanitary crews would be equipped with wheelie bins and waste bags. Teams of ‘social mobilisers’ would tell shopkeepers and customers about the proper disposal of waste. Complaints would be registered and redressed on the spot. New waste bins have already been installed at the sites, said the LWMC.

Each Ramazan Bazaar will generate 1,000 tonnes of waste per day, the LWMC estimates.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 9^th, 2013.