LAHORE: The people have criticised the government for selling a meagre quantity of the subsidised items in Sunday bazaars, urging it to take the steps to facilitate the public, which is already in hot water due to unprecedented price hike, especially in the ongoing month of Ramazan.

“After standing in the queue for 15 minutes in severe hot weather, I have been given only two kilograms sugar at the rate of Rs80 per kg. When I requested the salesman on duty to give me at least 5kg sugar since the visiting Ramazan Bazaar had become expensive due to petrol cost, weather and other hardships, he replied he was not allowed to do so,” a man told Dawn at Johar Town’s Ramazan Bazaar on Sunday.

“I think it is better to buy sugar at the rate of Rs90 per kilogram from the shops nearby by home instead of wasting my time, money and energy here (in the Ramazan Bazaar),” he lamented.

Same is the situation at the wheat flour sale points at the bazaar where the people are given a 10kg flour bag at Rs450 subsidised rate.

“I had asked for four bags—the quantity sufficient for a month for my family. But they (the officials on duty) didn’t give me that,” says another shopper at the bazaar.

“What is the harm in giving 40kg flour at subsidised rate to each family? Or the government itself wants to disgrace the lower-middle class and the poor by giving them less quantity of subsidised items?” he asked some pertinent questions.

Talking to Dawn, a woman in the bazaar, said that she waited in the queue for almost half an hour, asked the vendor to give her 5kg onion and 2kg tomato but he refused, saying he could give only one kilogram onion and same amount of tomato at the rate of Rs20 and Rs64, respectively.

“Similarly, other items having subsidised rates, including potato (Rs22), okra (Rs97), pumpkin (Rs28), garlic (Rs199), apple (Rs186), banana (Rs114 per dozen), lemon (Rs180kg), dates (Rs173), chickpeas (Rs101) and chickpeas pulse (Rs102) are also being sold in less quantity,” she complained.

Other shoppers also pointed out the similar issues and demanded the government abolish the restrictions related to sale of subsidised items in limited quantities.

“The government can refuse those desiring to purchase such items in bulk,” suggested a man while waiting for his turn in the queue.

Deputy Commissioner Umar Sher Chatha said the core objective of the subsidy was to facilitate more and more low-income people.

“The daily arrival of the people in 32 Ramazan bazaars of Lahore is 300,000 that goes to 2.1m in a week. If we start giving sugar, flour and other items in big quantities to the people, we may not be able to facilitate the low-income class well,” he argued.

When asked whether the government was justified in providing only one kilogram of onion or other items in meagre quantity to the poor people standing in long queues in hot weather conditions in the month of fasting, the DC said the quantity of the subsidised items would be increased.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2022