Profiteers have turned the Bachat bazaars into multi-million business as essential commodities available at these bazaars are being sold at exorbitant rates, citizens complained. Though the purpose of a Bachat bazaar was to provide relief to the poor and low-income group people by providing them all essential commodities at reasonable rates, one could find inferior quality goods at higher rates at these Bazaars, they added.
Sources said that KMC has, on the one hand, failed to ensure that essential commodities available at Bachat bazaars are sold at reasonable rates and, on the other hand, could not achieve its annual target of revenue from these Bachat bazaars because of alleged malpractices. They said that the KMC has been deprived of 70 per cent revenue generated through Bachat bazaars.
Sources alleged that officials of KMC's E&IP department have permitted private organisers of Bachat bazaars to acquire land at a rate of Rs3 per square yard. "A small Bachat bazaar set up on about 1,000 square yards with 20 tents of 15-30 feet is currently generating only Rs3000 under the head of revenue.
Moreover, policy of the KMC's E&IP department that no Bachat bazaar could be set up on public parks, playgrounds, private property and streets, was being flouted openly by the mafia involved in this business allegedly in connivance with concerned police stations.
Of the total 130 Bachat bazaars being organized regularly in different parts of the city, around 34 of them are set up on the land, falling under the jurisdiction of KMC. Meanwhile, sources in the E&IP department said that an operation against all illegal Bachat bazaars would be launched soon.