LAHORE, June 29: Sunday Bazaars in the provincial metropolis have failed to achieve their objectives, as these have become weekly markets for vendors and traders instead of being developed into outlets for the growers and producers due to poor planning.

These bazaars are being held at 20 places in the city, but are not organized on the pattern of the bazaars set up in the western countries after which these have been named. These have come to known as Sunday Bazaars for being held on that particular day. The actual purpose of enabling the growers and producers to sell their goods to the consumers without intervention of the middlemen has disappeared.

Vendors and shopkeepers sell their goods in the Sunday Bazaars being organized by the three market committees in the city. There is no price and quality control in these bazaars, as the market committees’ staff is interested only in collection of the rent of stalls and issuing rate cards.

A survey conducted by Dawn reveals that the staff issues only the rates of fruits and vegetables whereas the prices of other goods are fixed by the traders. The traders charge higher prices for quality fruits and vegetables, claiming that the market committee prices are only for inferior quality stuff.

A number of vendors sell fruits and vegetables at the entrances to the Sunday Bazaars without adhering to the prices prescribed by the market committee. Nor do the vendors pay any fee to the market committees.

Growers and producers do not come to the weekly bazaars because the market committees do not bring them there. A few manufacturers set up their stalls at some of the places on their own. Many retailers set up their stalls with the banners of manufacturers to hoodwink the customers.

Sunday Bazaars started in the country during the tenure of the late Gen Ziaul Haq to provide relief to the customers by providing essential commodities at reduced prices. The first bazaar was set up in Islamabad and soon became successful.