Shawwal Moon sighted, Eid today

Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, July 28:   The Islamic month of Shawwal moon has been sighted, marking the end of Holy month of Ramadhan, and Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated tomorrow (July 29).
The Eid prayers will be held across Kashmir in Eidgah’s and Masjids in the morning. The biggest congregation will be at Hazratbal where Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will offer Eid prayers. The other big congregations of Eid prayers will be at Eidgah, Polo Ground and many other places in Srinagar where arrangements for offering Eid prayers have already been made.
Several countries, however, celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr today including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, United States, United Kingdom and other European countries.
On the eve of Eidul Fitr, markets in the Valley witnessed marginal shoppers. Markets opened early this morning and shoppers were busy in purchasing eatables and other items.
Shoppers from different areas of Rural Kashmir also thronged markets, fashion houses, boutique shops, market places and kiosks across the city markets in huge numbers and shopped till evening.
In Valley’s tertiary commercial hub, Lal Chowk, markets saw shoppers moving from one extreme of the market to another. Elsewhere in Poloview, Sarai Bala, Maharaj Bazaar, Koker Bazaar, and in old city, markets were abuzz with shopping activities.
“Though Eid rush picks up in the last 10 days of Ramadan, but this year momentum and that usual atmosphere of festivity was missing. It’s only in the last two days that the rush has started picking up,” said Zulfiqar Ahmad, a readymade shopkeeper in Goni Khan Marke.
On the eve of Eid, the Government today released Rs 700 crore. “We have released Rs 700 crore to different treasuries on Monday in view of the Eid-ul-Fitr,” Altaf Mirza, Director Accounts and Treasuries J&K said.  “The money might be in the process of being crediting into individual accounts,” he added.
The money which was released includes salaries of employees, wages, bills of contractors and many other liabilities pending with the treasuries.
The Government too had decided to release pay to its employees today, calling the day as ‘Pay Day’.
In view of the huge rush of people, Traffic authorities have issued a traffic plan for city Centre to decongest the City Centre and to help in smooth regulation of traffic.
At some places complaints of profiteering have been received from public. Hoarders and profiteers are minting money from gullible citizens as prices of daily-use items have spiked.
Putting control on prices and check on hording, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Department claims it has constituted special squads for market checking
“Special squads constituting Municipality and Police officials are doing rounds of city markets. From last few days we collected a huge amount as fine from those shopkeepers who were resorting to hoarding and profiteering, and we will continue to keep a check on them. It is unfortunate that shopkeepers take advantage of the Eid rush for making few extra bucks,” said an official of CAPD.
However, consumers say meat sellers didn’t adhere to the Government set rate of Rs 310 per kg mutton in the markets, blaming the mutton sellers having resorted to surging of price at will offering mutton at 360 to consumers. All this has left the consumer confused who says that Government set rates have never been adhered to by the butchers.
Mutton dealers said around 500 trucks of sheep were supplied to the Valley three days before Eid. And the stock for the Eid will be around 50,000 animals in addition to the domestic production.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here