RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD: Each year, the advent of Ramazan brings with it some traditional troubles; skyrocketing food prices and the appearance of substandard products on the market.

However, customers thronged markets and shops on Thursday as residents of the twin cities braced themselves for what promises to be a month of tough fasts in the blistering heat of June.

In Rawalpindi, Ramazan bazaars have been set up, as opposed to actual checks on the prices of edibles items on the open market.

Under the law, the provincial government is responsible for ensuring that prices of items such as vegetable oil, sugar, wheat flour, grams and pluses, meat, roti, milk and dairy products and fruit and vegetables remain within the officially-sanctioned parameters.

The administration has issued a price list, enforcing which should be the duty of price magistrates.

People complain of substandard items, long queues at Ramazan bazaars

But the government has kept no checks on traders, who people say continue to charge exorbitant prices ahead of Ramazan.

The government’s seriousness in safeguarding consumers’ rights can be judged from the fact that the city’s District Market Committee has been without a chairman since the last incumbent, Raja Jehandad, resigned to contest the cantonment board elections in April.

Former District Nazim Raja Tariq Kayani told Dawn that there was no justification for establishing separate Ramazan bazaars.

“PML-N leaders want these bazaars for their projection and force the people to queue pointlessly. This is not good governance,” he said.

PPP City President Amir Fida Paracha said the PML-N had failed to deliver and squandered public monies, first on the metro bus and now on Ramazan bazaars.

Food prices, despite the government’s claims to the contrary, remained quite high. Sugar was being sold at Rs65 per kg as against the official Ramazan rate of Rs52 and a 20kg bag of wheat flour was available for Rs1,000, as against the Ramazan rate of Rs330 for a 10kg bag.

“Mutton is selling for up to Rs670 per kg, while the official price is Rs440 per kg. This is the state of affairs on the eve of Ramazan,” complained Hameed Khan, a resident of Naya Mohallah.

He said that he had no time to wait in line at Ramazan bazaars and preferred to pay a little more in exchange for quick service.

Saleem Shahzad, a resident of Kashmiri Bazaar, said that he had never been to a Ramazan bazaar because the food items sold there were mostly substandard.

However, Rawalpindi Commissioner Zahid Saeed told Dawn that the Punjab government had launched nine Ramazan bazaars from Wednesday and that the government had provided Rs5 million to the District Market Committee to establish its own stall at every Ramazan Bazaar.

Even in the capital, the markets were jam-packed with people stocking up on food stuffs ahead of the month of Ramazan. The Sabzi Mandi was particularly crowded on Wednesday.

Shahid Nazir, a resident of Sector I-10, told Dawn that not only were there massive crowds in the markets, but food prices had suddenly jumped considerably.

“I used to buy a crate of the mangoes for Rs 600, but on Thursday I ended up paying Rs 900 for them. Bananas are also up from Rs150 per dozen to Rs 200 per dozen. And just about half a kilo of Iranian dates are selling for Rs 140,” he said.

Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Mushtaq Ahmed told Dawn that the administration had gone to great lengths to deal with the crowds in the markets.

“Three Sasta bazaars have been established in the rural parts of the city and weekly CDA bazaars will cater to the residents of the capital, providing edible items at affordable rates. Price magistrates have been ordered to visit all the markets and ensure that traders would not take advantage of the holy month,” he said.

“Security arrangements have also been finalised. There will be additional police presence in the markets during peak hours. Moreover, officials will be deputed at mosques, imambargahs and other public places to ensure worshippers’ safety,” he said.

“We have also held meetings with traders associations and suggested that they should discourage profiteering,” he said. — Aamir Yasin and Ikram Junaidi

Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2015

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