Under the orders of Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif, City District Government Multan (CDGM) has set up four Ramazan Bazaars in Multan city to facilitate the citizens and to ensure supply of qualitative daily use items on reasonable price but the market committees, which were controlling the fair price shops and Ramazan Bazaars have failed to provide quality commodities to the citizens, it was learnt here on Sunday.
Moreover, the market committees failed to provide various products in abundance in Ramazan Bazaars including potatoes, onions, ginger, garlic and tomatoes, resultantly number of consumer return home without purchasing. However, those who did managed to squeeze in, complained afterwards of having bought substandard commodities, lashing out at grocers of fleecing the people. In addition, a number of people flayed several vendors and shopkeepers of overcharging various products, particularly fruits including dates, bananas, apples, peach and grapes without any check by the city administration and the market committees.
According to the price report issued by the Punjab Prices and Supplies Board, Atta (loose) was sold in Multan on Saturday at Rs 20 per kg, 20 kg wheat flour sack at Rs 300, Banaspati ghee (loose) Rs 125 per kg, Banaspati ghee (tin 16 kg) Rs 1,960, Rice basmati Rs 70 to 80 per kg, rice irri Rs 40 to Rs 50 per kg, mutton Rs 240 per kg, beef Rs 120 per kg, sugar Rs 31 to Rs 32 per kg, chicken meat Rs 145 to Rs 150 per kg, pulse gram Rs 48 to Rs 60 per kg, pulse masoor Rs 110 per kg, pulse mash Rs 70 to 80 per kg, pulse moong Rs 43 to Rs 44 per kg, eggs Rs 54 to 55 per dozen, milk (open) Rs 30 to Rs 35 per litre, potatoes Rs 28 to Rs 30 per kg, tomatoes Rs 26 to Rs 32 per kg, onion Rs 30 to Rs 36 per kg, red chillies Rs 110 to Rs 120 per kg, baisen Rs 58 to Rs 62 per kg and dates from Rs 50 to Rs 55 per kg.
City District Government managed to end the scarcity of Atta in Multan. Now shopkeepers are complaining of customers. When asked, District Co-ordination Officer (DCO) Fazeel Asghar said the city administration has controlled about 100 percent of flour shortage in the city which, he added was artificial, created by hoarders and millers desirous of earning extra. He said the magistrates have been directed to act against hoarders and ensure the sale of 20-kg flour bags at Rs 300, the rates fixed by the government.
He said any shopkeeper found guilty of overcharging would be dealt with iron hands. An official of the city administration told that a sufficient quantity of flour bags is available at Ramazan Bazars, adding that consumers prefer to buy sacks from sale points as 'they are cheaper.' Still, many consumers cried against waiting in lines and of getting substandard edibles. In this regard, CDGM officials deployed at such sale points said the DCO and other higher authorities 'are striving to provide enough quantity of all daily-use products including flour bags to ease the people during the holy month of Ramazan.'