Substandard food items sold in Sunday bazaars

LAHORE

A-quality food items, including fruits, vegetables, mutton and beef, were not available in any weekly makeshift markets of the city on Sunday.

The situation of the Shadman Sunday bazaar which is considered to be a VIP model bazaar of the city was very pathetic. Both beef and mutton were not available there after 12:00 noon while open overcharging continued in the presence of the market committee officials.

The prices on the rate cards issued to the vendors were higher than the rates on the price list. When questioned about unavailability of some fruits and vegetables in the bazaar, the market committee secretary said that he was not responsible for ensuring their availability. To a question why wrong official price was fixed, which resulted in unavailability of majority of items every week there,  as claimed by the vendors, he said that no wrong price was fixed ever.

The fruit vendors said that majority of seasonal fruits were not sold in the market due to price issue. Quoting example of plump rates, they said that it was over Rs 350 per kg in Badami Bagh wholesale market while Rs 180 per kg rate was given on the official rate list.

The Lahore deputy commissioner, a few days back, had held a meeting with journalists to support the government in Ramazan on the issue of food items' prices. However, the district management seems inactive ahead of Ramazan as artificial price hike, profiteering and hoarding were at peak while all activities to provide relief to public would be done in only one month in the year.

The rates of perishable items are already on the rise ahead of the holy month which will slightly reduce during Ramazan while no effort would be made to bring the rates down to the previous level from were they had started increasing.

The rate of potato, new, was further increased by Rs 3 per one per kg and fixed at Rs 31 to Rs 33 per kg. Potato, hard skin and sugar free, rates were fixed at Rs 27 to Rs 29 per kg, and potato, store, at Rs 22 to Rs 24 per kg, but the potato, store, was sold at Rs 33 per kg.

Onion rate was further reduced by Re one per kg and fixed at Rs 17 to 19 per kg. The price of tomato was cut by Rs 9 per kg and fixed at Rs 13 to Rs 15 per kg. Garlic, Harnai, price was fixed at Rs 151 to Rs 156 per kg. Garlic, local, rate was stable at Rs 107 to Rs 110 per kg but sold at Rs 150 per kg in Sunday bazaars and Rs 100 to 120 in the open market and just outside the makeshift markets. Ginger, Chinese, rate was stable at Rs 92 to Rs 95 per kg. Ginger, Thai, rate reduced by Rs 6 per kg and fixed at Rs 68 to Rs 70 per kg, but was sold at Rs 100 per kg. The price of brinjal was stable at Rs 19 to Rs 20 per kg.

Cucumber, farm, rate was increased by Rs 10 per kg and fixed at Rs 24 to Rs 25 per kg, and cucumber, local, rate was reduced by Rs 5 per kg and fixed at Rs 33 to Rs 35 per kg, but both were  sold at Rs 40 per kg. Bitter gourd, local, rate was reduced by Rs 5 per kg and fixed at Rs 33 to Rs 35 per kg. Spinach rate was fixed at Rs 9 to Rs 10 per kg, but was not sold due to 'wrong' official price. Lemon, local, rate was reduced by Rs 4 per kg and fixed at Rs 141 to Rs 146 kg, but sold at Rs 200 per kg. Zucchini, farm, rate was reduced by Rs 5 per kg and fixed at Rs 19 to Rs 20 per kg. Zucchini, local, rate was fixed at Rs 43 to Rs 45 per kg. Ladyfinger price was reduced by Rs 5 per kg and fixed at Rs 60 per kg. Pumpkin rate was unchanged at Rs 24 to Rs 25 per kg, but sold at Rs 30 and pumpkin, long, was sold at Rs 50 per kg.