Prices stable on opening day in new G6 bazaar

Prices on the opening day of the new G-6 bazaar were stable, as per chart given below:
Vegetables: Brinjal Rs 12 per kilo; Cucumber Rs 10; Pumpkin Rs 10; Ginger Rs 84; Garlic Rs 86; Ladyfinger (Bhindi) Rs 20; Chillies Rs 28 (250 grams}; Teenda Rs 16; Tomatoes Rs 38, and rates of fruits were: Banana Rs 45 per dozen; Apple Rs 45 per kg; Peach Rs 45; Mangoes Rs 45.
It looked that the prices had been managed for the opening day of the bazaar.
The bazaar infrastructure took more than one year to take shape. On the opening day (Sunday) it was sparsely crowded. In contrast with the huge throng that came to the opening day of the G-9 (Itwar) bazaar near H-9 which opened last year.
The reason for poor attendance at the G-6 bazaar might be found in its proximity to the Lal Masjid and the scenes of last July still evokes fear and shock and awe among the public. It may be recalled that Lal Masjid was subjected to violent government action in which more than 100 inmates, including women students were killed by commando gunfire and the memory of those days was still fresh in public mind.
As we entered the bazaar we were greeted by two huge banners paying tribute both to the Capital development Authority Chairman Kamran Lashari, and the director in-charge Mustafain Kazmi.
Yet, work at the new site of G-6 bazaar is still incomplete. Only 1,400 stalls have been structured. Work on 400 more stalls was going on till evening when this scribe visited the G-6 bazaar. The 400 more stalls are located below, one landing lower than the main market place.
Besides, work in the central foyer is still incomplete, and except for the fruit and garment section, about 1,000 stall awaits their painted numbers. However, it may be mentioned that different colours have been used for different section: the fruit stalls are painted yellow; green colour has been used for the vegetable section and white for the garment section. Some stalls have been painted soothing light blue, and stalls below the landing have off white colours. Since the stalls were empty we could not say what wares they would hawk.
A water filter plant was there in addition to exclusive toilets for ladies. Recently, the round table on gender mainstreaming held by the Planning Commission, the Women's Division and the German Development Assistance Agency (GTZ) have declared ladies washrooms mandatory for every office, shopping mall and bazaars.
A dozen security staff was manning the bazaar. However, we found traffic police not in sight. According to the CDA supervisory staff, who was present there, we were informed that the weekly bazaar would require special traffic handling management, which would be put in place from the next week.
The absence of the traffic police created quite a problem for about six foreigners, found haggling with taxi drivers, outside the gate. As usual the cab driver was in a mood to fleece these would-be passengers, demanding nearly three times the normal fare.
Even the public commuting to the bazaar was not spared. Van drivers were demanding 50 percent more than the usual fare. One Van driver told us that the days of counting in fraction of Rs 2 or Rs 3 is over. 'Now we charge Rs 10 for the first kilometre and then Rs five more for every extra kilometre.'
This brings us to the fact of negligence in monitoring of public utility goods and services although we the public is told that a daily monitoring is done everyday by economic managers of the new government.