LAHORE Lahorites are all set to sacrifice animals despite high prices of sacrificial animals which remained beyond purchasing power of most of the citizens while low income segments of the City delayed programme to purchase animals for second or third day of Eid, hoping for decrease in prices, a survey conducted by The Nation revealed. Moreover, the butchers also sharpened their tools for slaughtering sacrificial animals as well as for 'pick pocketing of the people by increasing their rates up to Rs 3,000 per animal. The professional butchers are demanding upto Rs 2,000 for slaughtering small animals like goat or sheep while Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000 for slaughtering cows, bulls and camels, which no doubt would increase the total cost. On the other hand, only non-professional butchers are ready to render their services on nominal prices of Rs 500 to Rs 700 per animal slaughter and these non-professional butchers stepped in this field as part time work. Further, unavailability and high rates of professional butchers for slaughtering animals on the eve of Eid compelled the citizens to hire services of such non-professional butchers, available on cheap rates. It was witnessed that the animal traders stick to their demanded prices against their animals till Sunday night by exploiting the situation while rates of animals are almost double of the prices of sacrificial animals as compared to the previous year. An average sheep or goat is available at Rs 25,000 to Rs 35,000 while light weight animals are available in Rs 15,000 to Rs 18,000 while healthy goats and sheep have been priced of Rs 40,000 to Rs 100,000. Besides the small animals, rates of bulls and cows are very high which starts from Rs 50,000 to Rs 3,50,000 according to their health and weight. It also was witnessed that some buyers purchased animals on the prices, demanded by the traders and without any bargain. Muhammad Naeem, a buyer, purchased a bull at Rs 3,50,000 when the owner of the bull Nazar Hussain was leaving the City disappointed and was standing at Ring Road but after selling his bull, he started weeping saying that he brought up and cared his bull like his son. On this occasion, it also was witnessed that the bulls eyes were also wet with tears at the time of sale as it knew that it was going to be slaughtered and could never meet his owner again. Regarding high prices of sacrificial animals, a trader Khizar Hayat of Sargodha said that worst floods in different areas of the country killed several animals while out of remaining, thousands of the animals have been smuggled to other countries, which not only marred overall business of animals but also caused shortage of animals resulting in unusual rise in prices. He said that beside above said reason, prices of feed and other essential products, used for breed of animals with transportation expenditures also increased cost of animals. It is pertinent to mention that the CDG authorities approved six sale points besides the Bakar Mandi Shahpur Kanjran in consultation with towns administrations for convenience of Lahoriites. Moreover, the sacrificial animals like, goats, sheep, cows, buffaloes and camels have arrived in City but not in abundance so far. However, arrival of sacrificial animals in the City is likely to continue till the third day of Eid as animal traders with their animals still are arriving in the provincial capital, travelling from far-flung areas of the province and other cities. A spokesman of the City District Government said that government established six sale points but at distant fields in the exterior parts of the City and away from the residential vicinities in order to avoid some fatal or epidemic diseases like dengue and Congo virus. He said that govt set up points for sacrificial animals including Shahpur Kanjran, Class Mari Barqi Road, Kacha Ferozepur Road, Quaid-i-Azam Interchange GT Road near Ring Road, LDA Avenue, Bilal City near Saggian Bridge besides setting up bus terminals for the convenience of buyers at nine different points of the City including Gaddafi Stadium for Kacha, Shoq Chowk to LDA Avenue, Saddar Chowk to Class Mari, Shalamar Chowk to Ring Road Interchange, Imamia Colony to Saggian Bridge, Babu Sabu to Shahpur Kanjran, Batapur to Quaid-i-Azam Interchange, Thokar Niaz Baig to LDA Avenue, Chouburgi to Saggian Bridge. City District Government also started free of cost transportation service from Jinnah Hall to different sale points of sacrificial animals with return pick and drop service for the citizens, residing in the interior parts of the City, he added. He further said that purchase and sale of sacrificial animals is totally exempted from all the taxes including entry and sale fees. However, he said that district administration warned animal traders to avoid selling animals outside of the government approved sale points,otherwise, stern action would be initiated against them with confiscating their animals. But despite warning, the local traders of animals are setting up their own sale points on various busy roads and populated areas of the City unlawfully. The day by day growing number of unapproved animals sale points on roadsides are creating nuisance for town administrations with troubling commuters and disturbing traffic on some busy roads, he said ,adding, that the waste and offal of such animals could also cause blockade of sewerage system during Eid days and could cause environment pollution as well.