The ‘Durust Daam’ mobile application, developed to provide citizens with official price lists of fruits and vegetables, has encountered technical issues that have disrupted access to updated market rates during Ramadan. Users in Islamabad have reported receiving an “Invalid Response from Server” message, preventing them from viewing official commodity prices at a time when households closely monitor daily rates due to increased consumption during the holy month.
The application, managed by National Information Technology Board, is designed to display district issued price lists and enable users to compare them with prevailing market rates. The error message suggests that while the application is successfully connecting to its server, the returned data is not in the required format, making it impossible for the system to process and display updated information. As a result, users are unable to verify official fruit and vegetable prices or utilise the in app complaint feature intended to report instances of overcharging, a recurring concern during Ramadan when price fluctuations are common.
Officials at National Information Technology Board have stated that the technical infrastructure of the application remains operational and free of major faults. According to them, the disruption stems from the failure of ICT District Administration to upload updated price data to the system. Without fresh data entries from the district authorities, the application cannot generate accurate listings, leading to the error displayed to users. Attempts to obtain clarification from the Deputy Commissioner and other relevant officials within the district administration did not yield a response.
Launched in October 2019, Durust Daam was introduced as a digital governance initiative aimed at improving transparency in price control and curbing market manipulation. The platform allows citizens across Pakistan to access official rate lists issued by district administrations, compare them with retail market prices, and lodge complaints against unjustified increases. It also offers a feature for ordering essential kitchen items, further integrating price monitoring with consumer convenience. Since its introduction, the application has recorded approximately 189,290 downloads and has been widely regarded as an important tool for ensuring accountability in retail markets, particularly during periods of heightened demand such as Ramadan.
The current malfunction has highlighted coordination gaps between the technical management side and local administrative authorities responsible for uploading price data. At a time when consumers rely heavily on official information to manage household budgets, the disruption has raised questions about the reliability of digital price control mechanisms and the need for stronger interdepartmental coordination to ensure uninterrupted public service delivery.
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