PESHAWAR: Unlike past, the provincial government this time failed to set up sasta bazaars in the provincial metropolis to provide relief to the low income consumers in the holy month of Ramazan and thus the profiteers taking advantage of the situation are charging prices at will.

Most of the traders also avoid display of price lists and overcharge consumers. No doubt, price lists are issued daily from the main markets, but there is no mechanism of follow-up to ensure if the official rates are implemented.

In past, sasta bazaars used to be established at Shahi Bagh, Pejagi Road or at Hayatabad, but this year no such arrangement has been made where consumers could get quality edible items at concessional rates.

Consumers urge govt to set up price checking cells in bazaars

One of the advantages of sasta bazaars in particular areas was that the administration had a full control to check quality and price. The district administration and food department claim to have started thorough checking of prices, but it seems they lack coordination to ensure proper monitoring of all bazaars. Once the raiding team leaves the bazaar the profiteers restart fleecing the consumers.

The officials of food department, district administration, police and local government bodies need to have a close liaison with each others to ensure follow-up checking of quality and price.

A number of consumers suggested that the government should establish price checking cells in the jurisdiction of various bazaars where the common consumers could easily approach in case a vendor/shopkeeper violates the official price list.

A consumer at Hashtnagri Bazaar said that several vendors were selling similar kind of mangoes, but they were charging different rates for unknown reasons. He said that action should be taken against all those involved in overcharging.

“We are selling fruits as per official price list, but we also have to recover our transportation charges,” said a vendor Nasrullah Khan at Nauthia Bazaar. He added that in case of rotten fruits in crates they (vendors) had to meet the losses by violating the official price list.

About different prices of the same kind of mangoes and other fruits, he said that the vendors had nothing to do with this because the price was fixed at the wholesale market and there was no check at the time of auction. He suggested that the government should appoint permanent staff for checking the auctions of various items to stop profiteering because wholesalers were in the habit to hoard commodities. “Short supply (hoarding) of an item to open market is the root cause of profiteering and it is a common phenomenon in Peshawar markets,” the vendor pointed out.

A pushcart owner, Sultan Zeb, said that he had bought 20 bags of onion at vegetable market at Rs140 per five kilogrammes and found that a big part of the commodity was rotten which caused him a big loss. He said that it was impossible for him to follow the official price list in such a situation.

An official of the district administration said that establishment of ‘sasta bazaars’ was the provincial government’s prerogative as the administration could not take such a decision without proper directives. The official, who pleaded anonymity, said that setting up of sasta bazaars was not difficult, but it needed additional staff to maintain law and order and ensure checking of quality and prices in the bazaars.

Assistant food controller Khalid Khan, when contacted, said that the food department had been continuing its routine checking with some additional steps during Ramazan to stop profiteering and hoarding. However, he said that the district administration had separate raiding teams for the purpose.

Spokesman for the district administration Sajid Khan said that there was no sasta bazaar in Peshawar, but the administration had focused on overall market to control rates and ensure availability of quality edible items. He claimed that all the magistrates (ACs) used to visit the bazaars as ordinary consumers to know about the actual situation.

Food inspector Tasbihullah said that the new price list had been issued on May 30 in consultation with all stakeholders, but even then many of the people were violating it who had to face penalties during checking.

Food minister Qalandar Lodhi, when contacted, said that officials of all the relevant departments, including the district administration, were regularly visiting markets to ensure implementation of the official price list and take action against the violators.

“I personally visit bazaars under a schedule and check the quality and rates,” the minister said. About hoarding of different items, he said that it was difficult to check everything. However, he said that he would assign duties to officials to check the auction process.

Published in Dawn, June 13th, 2016