The farce of Ramazan subsidy

As the holy month of Ramazan commences, families prepare for fasting, the government simply forgets that it is the government while traders and hoarders become active to fleece the consumers. The public machinery starts extra exercises to curb profiteering with fines and arrests. The government announces subsidies to provide eatables at reasonable prices to the fasting Muslims. Despite all punitive measures and claims of the political elite to curb the price hike, the loot continues.

In line with the tradition, the Punjab government this year announced a subsidy package of rupees five billion to be offered during Ramazan. The government established 335 ‘Sasta Bazaars’ across the province to provide 11 commodities including vegetables, fruits and pluses at reasonable prices. Subsidies on wheat flour are available in these bazaars. The provincial ministers and secretaries were assigned to various districts to conduct surprise visits and ensure that the quality of items and prices were up to the mark.

My issue, being a common citizen, is that the government announces such huge subsidies without any solid strategy. The officials make tedious arrangements to put in place the bazaar. The average cost of arrangements for each is calculated to be about one million per month. Carpets are laid, tents erected, banners hoisted, makeshift toilets are constructed, shops established, parking lots marked and sofas are placed to facilitate customers. Subordinates of about eight departments are deployed to regulate bazaars and give protocol to the government functionaries during surprise visits in addition to putting a vigilant eye on prices and quality.

The bazaars are established in urban areas despite the fact that 70 per cent of population resides in rural areas. This disparity and ignorance is widening the gap between urban and rural areas. Public money comes from across the province but subsidy enjoyed by the urban population alone is not justified.

Comprehensive measures to bring the poor population in the subsidy’s fold are as essential as providing subsidy. The issuance of ‘khidmat cards’ on the pattern of Benazir Income Support Programme smart cards to register the poor will be a good initiative to minimise their financial miseries. All this needs sincere and committed efforts; but the PML-N prefers to get political mileage and popularity from bazaars – without any intelligent planning.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 10^th, 2014.