Lahore - The continued closure of main Badami Bagh wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Market, following murder of two brokers during a gun battle between two groups, have caused shortage of vegetable in several parts of the city where it was hard to find the essential veggie items particularly in the morning.

The situation, however in Special Ramazan Bazaars were totally different, where no such shortage was seen as the supply was made from rest of the wholesale markets and nearby villages. 

Vendors said that the provincial capital will face severe shortage of vegetables on Monday as the wholesale market closure will continue for another day.

Certain vegetables were either not available or being sold at double prices at retail shops at Datanagar, Badami Bagh, Misri Shah, Shadbagh, Daroghawala, Guru Mangat Road, Wasanpura, Ichhra, Mozang, Samanabad, Saidpur, Shahnoor, Bakar Mandi and Sherakot, Gulshan-i-Ravi, Sanda, Islampura, Rajgarh, Santnagar and Ravi Road and in most of the walled city main bazaars.

However, the Ramazan Bazaars at Shadman, Islampura, Gulshan-i-Ravi, Tajpura, Wahdat Colony, Johar and Green towns and Shahdara where open to offer almost all veggie items and fruits at concessional rates, with some items were also missing there, including onions, lemon and potatoes.

Absence of an effective price control mechanism continued to allowing profiteers and stockists to trigger price spiral, short supply of vegetables also provided an opportunity to retailers to charge at will in all parts of the provincial metropolis on Sunday. Some vegetables including tomato, potato, onion, green chilly were seen in open market in the morning but they were being sold at double rates against the fixed price.

Vendors said that the closure of main wholesale fruit market has not affected the supply significantly as the supply is coming from other wholesale markets including Multan Road and Singhpura wholesale markets.

They said that supplies of vegetables from Sheikhupura, Kamoke, Kasur, Okara were continue in the city and only those localities surrounding the Badami Bagh area have been affected more.