HYDERABAD, Sept 15: The prices of essential items continued their rise unchecked barring fines imposed by special magistrates on some violators of official price lists while the bachat bazaars, which the district government had talked so much about before Ramazan were nothing but empty stalls under large tents, a visit to the bazaars revealed on Saturday.

The district government had announced that it would establish 12 bachat bazaars in four talukas to provide people goods at cheap rates but a visit to the notified bazaars showed that they were nothing but tents, tables and a banner inscribed with word bazaar.

No staff member of the district government was found in any of these bazaars. A labourer, who was present in a bachat bazaar in Liaquat Colony said that women were visiting the bazaar but had to return empty-handed as there was nothing to buy.

“People had brought only a scant quantity of flour and sugar or some other edibles that were sold on Friday evening before Iftar,” he informed.

The scene was no different at bachat bazaars in Nasim Nagar Chowk, Wahdat Colony and Eid-Milladun Nabi Chowk in Latifabad Unit No10. The Sindh Essential Commodities Price Control and Prevention of Hoarding Ordinance 2006 authorises special magistrates to impose fine on violators of official prices, fixed by the district administration in consultation with retailers and wholesalers of vegetables, fruits and kiryana merchants who dealt in pulses, flour, rice, sugar and other edibles.

The district government is, though, issuing lists regularly and giving them to fruit/vegetable vendors in the markets but the rates demanded by vendors are in sharp contrast to the officially fixed prices.

In the absence of magistrates the staff, present at the complaint centres, only hears the complaints as they have no power to take action on their own. “Let Mangi saheb (special magistrate city taluka) come and then we will impose fine on the violators,” a staffer was heard telling complainants at the Tower Market’s complaint centre when he was told at 4 pm that none of prices of fruits conformed to the administration’s lists.

The magistrates started paying visit just before the closing hours when a large population had already visited markets to buy fruits and other consumer goods.

“The vendor told me to lodge compliant with the president against price hike when I asked him why he was selling onion at such exorbitant rates,” a man was heard lodging his compliant at Market Tower complaint centre.

Reports suggested that goods meant for USC were sold in open market in the city without any action against the people responsible for it.