The Punjab government has released Rs4.83 billion to support the expansion of Sahulat bazaars and Sahulat-on-the-Go facilities across the province, a senior official said.
The government has allocated a total of Rs19 billion for establishing the facilities in all tehsils of Punjab. The recently released funds will be used to complete the construction of bazaars and related infrastructure.
The government aims to establish at least one Sahulat bazaar and one Sahulat-on-the-Go facility in every tehsil to provide essential household items to consumers at affordable prices.
Currently, 27 Sahulat bazaars and 41 Sahulat-on-the-Go facilities are under construction across the province. Of these, 24 bazaars and 23 mobile facilities are expected to begin operations next month.
Once the ongoing projects are completed, 139 of Punjab’s 154 tehsils across 38 districts will have access to the facilities.
Sahulat-on-the-Go facilities are being developed in several tehsils, including Chunian, Kasur, Shahkot, Malakwal, Sahiwal, Ahmedpur East, Faisalabad Saddar, Chichawatni, Khanpur, Bahawalpur Saddar, Rawalpindi, Lahore’s Nishtar area, Dina, Kharian, Zafarwal, Pattoki, Multan, Jalalpur Pirwala, Bhalwal, Bhera, Jahanian, Dera Ghazi Khan, Sargodha, Minchinabad, Fort Abbas, Bahawalnagar, Haroonabad and Arifwala.
Sahulat bazaars are also being established in 23 of these tehsils.
The official said the tendering process for projects in the remaining 15 tehsils had been completed, with contracts expected to be awarded within the next week or so.
The government expects most cities and towns to have Sahulat bazaar facilities by the next Ramazan, while efforts are underway to cover all tehsils by June next year.
Authorities are also considering increasing the number of Sahulat bazaars and Sahulat-on-the-Go facilities in Lahore, where the existing 10 bazaars, 15 mobile facilities and 25 relief markets are considered insufficient for the city’s population of more than 15 million.
Additional facilities are being considered for areas including Baghbanpura, Mughalpura, Cantonment, Model Town, Ghazi Road and parts of Samanabad.
The official said prices charged by shopkeepers at the bazaars were being monitored daily under a strict oversight mechanism.
