LAHORE The government has failed to control prices of daily use commodities during the holy month of Ramazan, as essential items are being sold at higher rates even at Sasta Ramazan bazaars, which were established by the government with the aim to provide subsidy to the poor, reveals a survey conducted by TheNation. Despite the claims by the government and district administration that a robust price control monitoring system has been put in place, it seems that the hike in prices of essential items would not retract and the citizens would have to bear the brunt of continuing inflation during the rest of the holy month. The teams deputed by the government to ensure sale of daily use items at subsidised rates could not produce fruitful results. Instead of the rate lists issued by of the price control committees, prices of essential items shot up which also exposed the performance of the district administration and the officials of towns concerned. It was witnessed that some of the retailers and shopkeepers were plundering the consumers by overcharging in violation of the rate lists, issued by the price control committees of the government and the practice is continuing unchecked and is maiming the poor segment of the society, already havening poor purchasing power in this countrywide financial crunch whereas the real beneficiary are only the traders. In this regard, dozens of citizens submitted applications in their town concerned or in the DCO office complaining that mostly shopkeepers and retailers are overcharging from the consumers without telling any solid reason which is sheer violation not only of the rate lists but also the rules and regulations by the government enacted for controlling prices. They further complained in their applications that the vendors and stallholders of Sasta Ramadan Bazaars are also overcharging and minting money from the poor consumers despite the government is providing them different daily use products on subsidized rates. On the other hand, the shopkeepers, in their defence are taking plea that they are getting very nominal margin on almost all the commodities further alleging the wholesalers are involving in hoarding and black marketing by taking advantage of the situation for which they were waiting from a couple of months and finally they backed out of their promise which they undertook in the meetings with the district administration regarding provision of daily use commodities on control rates. Ch. Ramazan, a shopkeeper and Tahir Mehmood a retailers were of the view that they compelled to sale out daily use commodities according to the rates of the wholesale markets with charging nominal margin on each and every thing which although is violation of the rate lists issued by the government. They said that the government and district administration must take action against the wholesalers instead of raiding and checking the rates of the poor shopkeepers. They said in case they sale out the products according to governments rate lists, they would have to bear financial loss and they are not doing business for bearing loss but for earning bread for their families. They said that the vendors of Ramadan Bazaars are also overcharging and minting money from the consumers despite the government is providing them commodities on subsidized rates so they deserve for action as well because they not only are plundering the consumers but also are deceiving the government by getting subsidized products and selling according to the rates of other City markets. However, the spokesman of CDG said that Commissioner Lahore Jawad Rafiq Malik and DCO Ahad Cheema are personally raiding different Ramadan Bazaars and initiating stern action against the vendors, found guilty of overcharging. He said that as compare to the prices of daily use commodities in the City markets, the rates of almost all the products available in Ramadan bazaars of the city are lower. He said that all the daily use products are available in such Ramadan Bazaars in abundance and the consumers must buy these products from these bazaars instead of purchasing from open markets because these Ramadan Bazaars were being set up by the government for the low income segment of the society in order to ensure provision of all the products on subsidized rates.