Okara’s long-awaited food street is ready to open, with all 39 shops allotted through an open balloting ceremony held beside the District Courts Complex.
The balloting was carried out under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Ikram Malik, MNA Chaudhry Riazul Haq Juj and MPA Mian Muhammad Munir. The event was moderated by Municipal Committee Administrator and Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Muhammad Saleem Chishti.
The project has been completed at a cost of Rs80 million. Dawn first carried the story on October 17 quoting Rs800 million, but the newspaper issued a clarification the next day correcting the figure to Rs80 million.
Of the 39 shops, ten have been reserved for women, nineteen for the general public, and ten for city-level branded food items, including sweets.
The stalls will offer a spread of local and popular delicacies, including kulfi, gol gappay, ice gola, pizzas, mutton and chicken karahi, drinks, and tea and coffee.
Each shop has been given canopies and colourful lamps, while safety iron grills have been fixed for the safety of children and elderly visitors.
The monthly rent has been set at Rs5,000 for a small shop and Rs7,500 for a big one. To encourage allottees to open their outlets quickly, no rent will be charged for the first two months.
