The 'Sasta Bazaar' in Peshawar, set up by district government has presented deserted look on Saturday as most of the stalls in the bazaar are empty and without food items. The district government has established a 'Sasta Bazaar' at interior city nearby historic Chowk Yadgar, with a capacity of more than 20 to 25 stalls, but there were two stall open including beverage and fruits, being set up at the bazaar.
As five-day past, the efforts to attract customers to its Sasta Bazaar have flopped to achieve the desired result as the market wore a deserted look on Saturday. Stall owners were mandated to sell items at prices fixed by the administration. Since the beginning of holy month, the Ramazan Sasta bazaars have attracted not many buyers, primarily due to the poor quality of items being sold.
Talking to this scribe, the buyers said that most of the daily-use items are missing in the Sasta Bazaar besides there is no difference between the prices at Sasta Bazaar and open market.
People would have thronged the Sasta Bazaar if the prices were reasonable. There is only one beverage stall. There is no stall of dates, vegetable, chicken besides sugar and juices are not available in the bazaar. There are a number of stalls set up in the bazaar but only two are open. Chicken, vegetable, pulses and meat is also not available in the Sasta Bazaar," they said.
"Even though people visit the bazaar regularly, they return disappointed as it has little variety of food items to offer," said Awal Khan, a local who lives adjacent to the bazaar. "There is nothing worth buying here," he said.
The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had announced to set up more than 107 Sasta Bazaar in the province, wherein commodities of daily use and edibles will be available to consumers at lower rates. Fifteen of such Sasta Bazars have been established in Peshawar, 13 in Mardan, 27 in Malakand, 24 in Hazara, 11 in Kohat, 9 in Bannu and 8 in D I Khan.
In spite of provision of food items on subsidised rate, the commodities were selling at 10 to 15 percent increase rate at the Ramazan Sasta Bazaars. The buyers have complained the sky-high prices of essential food commodities in the open market. According to them, the essential commodities such as pulses, sugar, rice, chicken, beef, mutton, vegetables and fruit have registered staggering increase, making purchase difficult for the common man. They also believe that certain elements are trying to thwart the business of the bazaar, as it goes against their vested interest.
With the advent of the holy month of Ramazan, the buyers said that the unprecedented increase have made by shopkeepers in all kind essentials, which are completely out from purchasing power of common man.
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