The rate of essential food items increase every year in Ramazan but the price-hike this year has gone out of the administration's control. Like previous years, this year government has also made arrangements for Ramazan bazaars for the availability of cheap and good quality food items to the common people throughout Ramazan.
But this year the government has been unable to provide edibles, especially flour. Because of the government's strict policy, now the flour is easily available in the Ramazan bazaars at the rate of Rs 265 per bag at utility store stalls whereas it is available at more than Rs 300 per bag in the market.
Most of the people show dissatisfaction over the quality of things in bazaars in Shadman and the Wahdat Colony but they believe the prices of edibles have fallen, especially those of vegetables. A customer Usman said the potato prices were Rs 22 per kilogram but now they are being sold at Rs 13 to Rs 15 per Kg.
Similarly Ahmad a customer at Wahdat colony Ramazan Bazar and Ali at Shadman Bazaar said there was no difference of prices of fruits in the bazaars and other markets but the prices of vegetables came down such as onions, which were earlier sold at Rs 26 per Kg are now being sold at Rs 14 to Rs 16 per kilogram. The prices of fruits also decreased but not with a big difference in prices as compared to last week.
A majority of people complain about the quality of all kinds of meat such as mutton, beef and chicken, saying there was a price difference in prices in the bazaars but quality was very poor. Rizwan, a government employee at the Shadman Bazaar, said meat injected with water was being sold here. Student named Abid said the quality of chicken was also poor.