Nine Ramazan Sasta Bazaars to be set up in Rawalpindi

RAWALPINDI: To break the monopoly of profiteers and hoarders, the local management has decided to set up nine ‘Ramazan Sasta Bazaars’ here in different areas in the city and cantonment board localities during Ramazan. These sasta bazaars would be operational at Shamsabad, Committee Chowk, Gulzar-e-Quaid, Chur, Chungi No22, Adiala Road, near Holy Family Hospital, Misriyal, and Sadiqabad from March 27.

The local management has also decided to set up one bazaar in Kallar Syedan, one in Taxila, two in Gujar Khan, two in Kotli Satian, and one in Kahuta. Equal facilities will be provided in all bazaars.

On the other hand, profiteers and hoarders have started looting the public here in open market shops ahead of Ramazan and increasing prices of all commodities on their own without the permission of the city district government.

Similarly, government-run Utility Stores Corporation (USC) has failed to provide necessary items in stores because branded companies including ghee and cooking oil owners refused to start supply. The branded companies and owners of ghee and cooking oil factories want to increase the rates by Rs15 to Rs20 per kilogram. The USC has increased the prices of gram flour by Rs30 per kilogram and rice by Rs25 per kilogram here on Friday.

Still, there is a big price difference in utility stores prices and open market shop prices as one kilogram branded ghee is selling at Rs417 in utility stores and cooking oil at Rs427 but in open market shops all branded ghee and cooking oil have once again increased the prices and one-kilogram packet of ghee that is being sold at Rs452 and cooking oil at Rs465 to Rs470.

All Pakistan Utility Stores Corporation Vice President Muhammad Azhar told ‘The News’ that the government is providing subsidized ghee and cooking oil at Rs260. “We would ensure to provide maximum subsidized ghee and cooking oil during the holy month of Ramazan, he assured.

Deputy Commissioner (DC), Rawalpindi Tahir Farooq said that buyers will get maximum relief on all eatable items as compared to open market shops in Ramazan. I have chalked out a master plan to monitor profiteers and hoarders not only in ‘Ramazan Bazars’ but particularly in the open market, he said.