Buyers pay more at Model Bazaar in Township

Industries department and CM’s Model Bazaar Project official says he will probe

LAHORE

Administration of Chief Minister’s Model Bazaar in Township has found a new way to extract extra money from the pockets of general consumers by introducing ‘special quality’ in fruits and vegetables, which are being charged higher than the normal rates.

Citizens visiting Chief Minister’s Model Bazaar in Township revealed that the local administration of this bazaar recently started this practice to allegedly ‘facilitate’ the fruit sellers. It is pertinent to mention here that the bazaar is being moderated by Industries department and the government is providing all necessary facilities to the stall holders but they are minting huge money from the visitors by overcharging.

“I purchased citrus fruit at Rs130 per dozen whereas the official rate mentioned on the government’s price list was Rs96,” said Mustafa, a local resident. He said when he asked the fruit seller about the rates, he said this is special quality; so it is charged higher than the normal rates. “On my questions that why the rates of special quality is not mentioned in the price list, the shopkeeper told me that separate rates are issued for this quality by the bazaar’s administrator,” Mustafa said and added that the shopkeeper took out a small piece of paper on which it was printed that special rates for citrus fruit was Rs130 per dozen. The paper also contained signs and stamp of the administrator of the bazaar.

Mrs Ahsan, another local resident said she was a regular visitor of the bazaar. She said the practice of selling fruits under the title of special quality had started recently and despite several complaints the local administration of the bazaar didn’t take any action. “Instead they humiliate and ridicule complainants in one way or the other,” she said, adding it seemed that all this was going on with the will of local administration.

The scribe also visited several fruit sellers as a customer and found that majority of fruit sellers in Chief Minister’s Model Bazaar were selling special quality fruits on higher rates. Later, the scribe went to the local administrator who introduced himself as Mian Amer and admitted that he himself issued rates for special quality fruits. On a question, he said he had full authority to issue or revise rates of any item being sold in the Model Bazaar.

Defending his action, he said special quality fruit was better than normal fruits; so its rate was higher than the normal. On a question that the government already issued rate of first and second quality of fruits in the list, he said special quality was even better than the first quality, which is mentioned in the rate list.

Nasir Rafique, a senior official of Industries department and Chief Minister’s Model Bazaar Project said no one was allowed to notify or modify any rates of fruits and vegetables in Chief Minister’s Model Bazaar. He said only applicable rate list in these bazaars was the list issued by Lahore deputy commissioner and anyone selling fruits or vegetables on higher prices would be dealt with iron hands. He said that he would visit the model bazaar soon to inquire into the issue.