GUJRAT: The PTI government in Punjab has decided to continue with the Shahbaz Sharif era’s policy of establishing Ramazan Bazaars across the province as the commissioners and deputy commissioners of all the divisions and districts have been asked to inform the government about the funds required for the bazaars.

In a letter, dated April 3, the director general industries, prices, weights and measures Punjab directed the district management to provide the requisite information to establish these facilities in divisions and districts.

As per the initial letter, the industries department has sought the information about the Ramazan initiative such as total number of bazaars, funds required for tents and appointment of focal person since the required information has to be forwarded to the finance department for action.

The PTI leadership while in the opposition was a critic of the Shahbaz government for establishing such Ramazan Bazaars. However, now the party government in Punjab is going to continue with the same old arrangement.

A senior administrative officer said the sudden directions by the government on Saturday of launching the wheat procurement from Monday (April 8) as well as the preparations for initiating the arrangements for the Ramazan Bazaars had put the district administrations under immense pressure across the province as the rest of the departments were least bothered to launch official campaigns which might hamper the working of the administrative offices.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2019