LAHORE: In order to provide the relief to the public, the Punjab Model Bazaars Management Company (PMBMC) has upgraded its model bazaars into Sahulat Bazaars which will be fully operational from Monday, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Pakistan Today further learnt that currently, 32 model bazaars were operational in the province whereas ten bazaars were operational only in the provincial capital.
Similarly, Bahawalpur, Chakwal, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Jhang, Kasur, Khushab, Layyah, Rawalpindi, Lodhran, Rajanpur, TT Singh, Sahiwal, DG Khan, Sheikhupura, Sialkot and Vehari all have one such bazaar whereas two bazaars operate in Faisalabad and Sargodha each.
Sources from PMBMC informed this scribe that in these model markets, items are being provided at prices lower than DC rate and relief is being given to the public by PMBMC whereas no grant was given to the company by the government to provide relief.
Sources claimed that in the past, billions of rupees were spent in the name of subsidy to provide relief to the general public during the holy month of Ramzan and surprisingly during the current year the same was being managed by PMBMC without a single rupee subsidy/grant/aid etc.
Sources also claimed that these bazaars have good supply chain system and government can control hoarding through these bazaars as well.
They said that no model bazaar has been established during the tenure of the present government as all of the bazaars that are providing relief to the general public were constructed during the tenure of the previous government.
Maria Iqbal, PMBMC’s marketing official informed Pakistan Today that the status of model bazaars had been upgraded to Sahulat Bazaars.
“During the lockdown, only grocery, fruits and vegetable portions were open but now as per the government’s policy, the whole bazaar, including the portion of garments, crockery and other will also open,” she added.
“The company is operating various stalls of vegetables, fruits and other grocery items in these bazaars at cheaper rates from Rs5 to Rs35 per kilogram than that of district administration notified rates. We also have a footfall of 4.3 million people in these bazaars,” she told.
“Every bazaar consists of more than 100 stalls and is fully secured by CCTV camera and security guards. To ensure the quality of products, in time supply of goods at DC rates and to resolve the queries of the visitors, a full time Complaint Cell is also established in the bazaar that not only records the complaints/suggestions of the customers. These bazaars are also providing a refined business platform to lower and middle-class families. Stallholders are facilitated with free electricity, water, sanitation and security services,” the PMBMC official said.
PMBMC CEO Nasir Rafique said, “We are providing foolproof security, cleanliness and corona prevention measures in these bazaars where thousands of people are being served on a daily basis to fulfil their daily need of consumer goods.”
Speaking about the prevention measures to avoid corona pandemic he said, “From now to onwards, these bazaars will remain operational four days a week from Monday to Thursday. As per company resources, Sahulat Stalls will remain operational even after the holy month of Ramzan”.
