LAHORE, Oct 1: The government’s attempts to provide relief to the masses through Sunday and Sasta bazaars are not bearing fruit owing primarily to wrong decisions and choices, City District Government Lahore officials say.

In this era of specialisation, they say, the departments related to most of the products on sale in these bazaars are not being associated with their management and instead only those which have the history of administration are being engaged to run the show.

Mostly people rush to these makeshift bazaars, around two dozens being set up in the city during Ramazan, to purchase vegetables and fruits at rates less than those in the open market. Some also desire to buy red and white meat as well as atta, sugar and rice from outlets at these bazaars. And a few people turn up to procure spices, etc.

Supplies of these items can be better ensured by the agriculture marketing, livestock and food departments which are directly related to the quality and quantity of the products. Ironically, it is the revenue department which has been given the charge to handle the affairs as its officials have been enjoying magisterial powers and do the tasks ranging from checking prices to managing rowdy crowds.

There are hundreds of grade-17 and above officers employed in the agriculture marketing department, specifically designed to improve the farm-to-market supply of farm produce. There are separate fruits and vegetables as well as horticulture sections in the department but it has not so far established even a single model market for the agriculture produce. Nor is it managing any Sunday/Sasta bazaar in the province despite being directly linked with the task of marketing, the officials regret, questioning the justification for an expenditure of billions of rupees on perks and privileges of the officers.

The working of the market committees is also flawed because they have not yet devised any sound price mechanism, the CDGL officials contend.

The prices of fruits and vegetables in the wholesale market are being manoeuvered by a handful of arhtis with the connivance of the market committee officials as the prices are not decided in the open auction, they allege.

Scores of bureaucrats and veterinary doctors in grade 19 and 20 are working in the livestock department. But they are of no use in supply of meat at reasonable rates to the masses, they say.

They regret that even the food department does not utilise its staff for supply of subsidised atta to the general public. “All they do is pack the commodity in bags stamped with the name of their department and hand it over to the revenue department for onward supply to consumers, though the food department has its structure down to the subdivision level.”

The CDGL officials suggest that in order to provide a real relief to the consumers the role of intermediaries has to be eliminated by establishing direct links between producers and buyers in the form of setting up special bazaars with the help of the agriculture marketing, livestock and food departments.