Makeshift market working excellent till minister’s visit

LAHORE
Improvement in the weekly makeshift markets was seen this week as the reduction or stability trend recorded in the majority of vegetables.
However, overcharging still witnessed in some vegetables due to wrong price fixation issue as the district government remained unable to settle the issue at Badami Bagh wholesale market level. The rates are fixed from the auctions of vegetables and fruits conducted at Badami Bagh wholesale market. Once a wrong price is fixed at wholesale then it automatically disrupt the open market mechanism as well.
This week again, cauliflower was not sold in the makeshift markets while in open market, sold at Rs50 per kg against the official rates of Rs14 to 16 per kg.
The provincial minister of food and price control Bilal Yasin this week again made a ‘surprise visit’ which ensured the presence of the town municipal staff in the bazaar during his visit. However, the district government staff also left the makeshift markets after within half an hour of minister's successful ‘surprise visit’. The intelligence system of the management of these bazaars seems to be the most effective than any other. So the government should get advantage of this intelligence system for law and order as well.
Arrangements were excellent in the makeshift markets till the minister's visit. Once the minister's visit was completed and he left the premises everything went back to its routine. The question arises why the government has failed to evolve a system which continues work without any interruption or minister visits.
Similarly, the district government introduced a queue for the purchase of some onion and tomato again. A truck carrying tomato and onion was standing in Shadman makeshift market to sell both items Rs2 per kilogram lower than the makeshift market rate. For this, the people have to stand in queue to buy from the truck. It seems that the government loves to see the people in the queue to get basic necessities at lower rate while why the government manages to bring down Rs2 per kilogram impact on whole market supply. Is this a government tactic to show its governance impact on the public? This week the price of potato new was reduced by Rs7 per kg, fixed at Rs25 to 28 per kg, potato stored at Rs11 to 13 per kg, while it was sold at Rs28 per kg. Onion price was also declined by Rs5 per kg, fixed at Rs50 to 52 per kg, mixed was sold at Rs52 per kg. The price of tomato came down by Rs30 per kg, fixed at Rs60 to 65 per kg. Garlic local price was stable at Rs140 to 150 per kg, garlic Chinese at Rs150 to 165 per kg, while both sold at Rs160 and 170 per kg respectively.