Karachi: Bachat bazaars project stays in limbo

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Irfan Aligi
KARACHI: The Enterprises and Investment Promotions (E&IP) Group of Offices of the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) has been unable to establish bachat bazaars and wholesale fruit and vegetable markets in every town of the city to cater to the needs of the citizens to acquire essential commodities at cheaper rates.
City Nazim Mustafa Kamal had issued directives to the E&IP in May 2008 to take measures for the establishment of two model bachat bazaars in every town of the city to provide the citizens with direct access to essential daily-use commodities at cheaper rates in a healthy competitive environment, and to discourage the profiteering mafia that had also entered into the business of bachat bazaars.
It was decided that the CDGK would take the genuine manufacturers on board to market their products at cheaper rates and the bachat bazaars would be established under a public-private partnership.
Unfortunately, the course of action that the E&IP had adopted prevents a common citizen to start a business at the bachat bazaars. Subsequently, the profiteering mafia has taken over the bachat bazaars. The common people have no other option but to approach the profiteering mafia that provides them with temporary stalls at the bachat bazaars at higher rates. This practice has also resulted in essential household goods being sold at routine retail prices.
The establishment and functioning of model bachat bazaars was scheduled to complete by July 2008, but it has no physical mentioning anywhere today. However, more than 200 illegal bachat bazaars have been regularly operating in the city.
The failure to establish bachat bazaars and wipe out thoseset up illegally has inflicted a colossal loss of revenue of up to 80 percent to the CDGK. The expected revenue from the bachat bazaars was Rs 10 million for January-June 2008, but the total revenue could not be increased more than Rs 1.5 million. On the other hand, the illegal bachat bazaars have been established on amenity plots such as parks and playgrounds.
Additionally, the CDGK had also finalised plans for the establishment of a wholesale fruit and vegetable market in every town of the city.
E&IP Group of Offices Executive District Officer Dr Shahab Imam had previously told Daily Times that the city nazim had planned to curb the profiteering menace and give the citizens access to quality products at cheaper rates and, for that reason, Kamal had urged for the establishment of a wholesale fruit, vegetable and groceries market in every town.
Moreover, the E&IP Group of Offices had also ignored the Auction Rules and Regulations of CDGK and gross violations were made while auctioning the shops in the CDGK Parking Plaza.
In this regard, the E&IP Group of Offices had accepted 10 percent security deposit from a bidder while it is mandatory for the security deposit to be at least 25 percent of the total bid.
However, the bidder could not complete the rest of the procedures while the E&IP failed to make the CDGK Parking Plaza operational till 10 months prior to its official scheduled inauguration, which was held recently. Subsequently, the tenders were re-invited, but the 10-month delay also delayed outsourcing the management contract to private partners, and,
as a result, the CDGK suffered a major loss.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...009_pg12_1