LAHORE, Nov 16: The Punjab government on Saturday gave magisterial powers to six local government officers to run the special Ramazan Bazaars, having failed to manage the system effectively.

As always, the government has established special Ramazan Bazaars in the province under the supervision of district governments to provide quality and low-priced food items to the people.

However, official sources said the district governments had failed to manage the bazaars for want of legal authority and effective administrative setup.

Last year, the government acquired the services of judicial magistrates to run the system, but many found this arrangement, too, faulty due to various reasons.

Before introduction of the existing local government system and abolition of executive magistracy, the defunct deputy commissioners used to enforce writ of the government during Ramazan with the help of teams of executive magistrates.

According to an order issued by the provincial home department, the district revenue officer will act as magistrate during Ramazan at the district level and the deputy district officer for revenue, the ADO for revenue), Tehsil municipal officer, Tehsildar and TO (regulation) at the Tehsil level.

The Punjab governor has made them first-class magistrates in exercise of the powers conferred on him under sections 12, 14 and 37 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and in consultation with the Lahore High Court.

The officers have been given powers to summarily try cases regarding overcharging, hoarding, and sale of substandard foodstuff in special bazaars only during Ramazan under the West Pakistan Foodstuffs (Control) Act 1958, the Punjab Essential Articles (Control) Act 1973, the Price Control and Prevention of Profiteering and Hoarding Act 1877, the Ihteram-i-Ramazan Ordinance 1981 and the Local Government Ordinance 2001.