By A Reporter

RAWALPINDI, Aug 29: Lack of parking space, sale of substandard fruits and vegetables, and unclean conditions are making weekly bazaars a nuisance than places of relief for consumers in Ramazan.

The visitors to bazaars in Chungi No 22, Nawaz Sharif Park in Shamsabad, Committee Chowk and Haideri Chowk in Rawalpindi are facing more problems with each passing day as the city district government stands by as a silent spectator.

Except for the bazaar in Chungi No 22, where an area has been reserved for parking a small number of cars, all weekly bazaars are without proper parking spaces. Visitors park vehicles on the road, causing traffic jams. The visitors to Shamsabad bazaar park vehicles on Benazir Bhutto Road, creating traffic snarls.
“If there were proper parking arrangements, no one would park vehicles on roads,” said Fakhar Sultan, a visitor to Shamsabad. He said the local government was paying no attention to this problem. Imran Riaz, another visitor, said mostly after shopping they were stuck in the traffic.

The visitors also complained that the Ramazan bazaars’ administration was not monitoring quality of edibles as vendors were selling substandard fruit and vegetables.

Waseem Khan, a visitor to Committee Chowk bazaar, said according to the price list, rate of good quality apple was Rs110 per kg but a vendor was charging Rs130 per kg.

Some people complained about unhygienic conditions at the weekly bazaars, saying that at some places it was hard to stand because of stinking smell.

Prices went up in the weekly bazaars on Sunday. Potatoes were sold for Rs200 per 5 kg against last week’s Rs180, onion Rs180 per 5 kg against last week’s Rs160, garlic Rs280 per kg against last week’s Rs250, ginger Rs200 per kg against last week’s Rs190, okra Rs60 per kg against last week’s Rs50, bitter gourd Rs40 per kg against last week’s Rs32, turnip Rs40 per kg against last week’s Rs30, and lemon Rs80 per kg against last week’s Rs70.

Fine quality apples were sold for Rs120 per kg compared to Rs100 last week, mangoes Rs65 per kg against the last week’s Rs50, bananas Rs90 per dozen against last week’s Rs80, grapes Rs240 per kg against last week’s Rs220, and peach was sold for Rs70 per kg against last week’s Rs60.