LAHORE: The Punjab government has deviated from its traditional practice of establishing Ramazan Bazaars this year, limiting access to Ramazan relief measures and placing an additional economic burden on millions of people across the province.

The government has also withdrawn subsidies on food items and instead provided 17 essential items at wholesale rates at Sahulat Stalls set up in Model Bazaars.

Introducing a new regime, the Punjab government has introduced a Ramazan Nigehban Package 2025 with an allocation of Rs30 billion for cash transfers through pay orders, which the identified vulnerable families may draw through their bank accounts or through different Apps available at nearby retail stores as well as mobile banking shops. Each selected family has been given a Rs10,000 pay order being delivered by the Pakistan Post.

At the available model bazaars in the province, the Punjab government has introduced ‘Sahulat Stalls’ offering essential commodities at rates lower than the DC rates – leaving the major chunk of the province’s population without the facility of model bazaars and Sahulat stalls. With only 10 model bazaars serving Lahore’s 13 million residents, the relief provided is far from sufficient.

Officials say that model bazaars are already selling grocery items and vegetables and fruit on DC rate, so the announcement of Sahulat stalls does not offer any new relief to consumers. The real issue is public’s access to a few model bazaars in the province. In North Lahore, areas such as Ravi Town, Wagah Town, Aziz Bhatti Town, Gulberg Town, and Data Ganj Bakhsh Town have no model bazaar at all, depriving thousands of access to affordable essential goods.

Some districts have only one operational model bazaar, leaving entire regions without any structured relief mechanism.

The situation is even more critical in 17 other districts in the province, where there is no model bazaar. Among these 17 districts, the government has given a go ahead to establish model bazaars in 13 districts in the next three to four months – meaning no immediate relief for the public during Ramazan. Yet, the work on setting up a model bazaar has not started yet by the Narowal deputy commissioner – for being reluctant to appease a political figure.

The Narowal DC did not respond to calls and messages. The matter in Mandi Bahauddin is under litigation.

At model bazaars, Special Assistant to Chief Minister Salma Butt had promised that the Arhtis (commission agents) would personally sit and sell the 17 identified items at wholesale rates. However, the Arhtis refused and eventually the Flour Mills Association agreed to provide 10kg flour bags at the rate of Rs800, while the Sugar Mills Association came to an understanding that sugar would be supplied at Rs130 per kg. However, the availability of these subsidised goods will remain uncertain in the areas lacking ramazan bazaars.When contacted, Ms Salma Butt said the practice of setting up Ramazan Bazaars had been discontinued because there was a massive misuse of funds, leakage and corruption. She said each Ramazan Bazaar was given Rs15 million subsidy, while millions of rupees were charged even for the tents to set up those bazaars.

The CM’s special assistant said the system of providing ration bags to vulnerable families also did not go well for several reasons and the government decided to launch Ramazan Nigehban Package of 2025 with an allocation of Rs30 billion for cash transfers through pay orders, which the vulnerable families may draw through their bank accounts or through different Apps available at nearby Karyana stores as well as mobile shops. She said some three million families were being given Rs10,000 pay order, being delivered by the Pakistan Post, so that they might prioritise their needs and use the money.

Acknowledging that the Arhtis did not accept to sell the 17 identified items at model bazaars, she said, they had provided the workforce to sell the essential items at wholesale rates without the intervention of any middlemen.

In districts where there are no Model Bazaars, she claimed the respective districts’ deputy commissioners had identified densely-populated areas and designated some shops as “Sahulat Stalls” to sell essential food items at wholesale rates.

At Sahulat Stalls, Ms Butt said, the wholesale rates had been offered on flour, sugar, ghee and added that the chicken would be available at Rs20-22 less than the market rate.

Responding to concerns that eliminating Ramazan Bazaars had left millions frustrated, she said that the government was unable to provide relief to all 140 million people in the province, even when Ramazan Bazaars were in operation.

Punjab Price Control and Commodities Management Department Secretary Ajmal Bhatti did not respond to queries.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2025