Ramazan Price Watch Disrupted as Crucial Monitoring App Stops Working

The ‘Durust Daam’ mobile application, developed to provide official price lists of fruits and vegetables, is facing technical problems that have prevented users from accessing updated market rates during Ramadan.

Users in Islamabad have reported that the application shows an “Invalid Response from Server” error. The issue has emerged at a time when households closely monitor daily commodity prices due to higher consumption during the holy month.

The error indicates that while the application is successfully connecting to its server, the data returned is not in the expected format. As a result, the system is unable to process or display price information. This has left citizens unable to check official rates of fruits and vegetables, compare prices with market rates, or use the complaint feature meant to report overcharging, a common concern during Ramadan when price fluctuations increase.

Officials from the National Information Technology Board (NITB), which developed and manages the application’s infrastructure, said the system itself is operational and does not have any major technical fault. According to NITB officials, the problem is occurring because the ICT District Administration has not been uploading updated price data.

Efforts were made to contact the district administration for clarification, but no response was received from the Deputy Commissioner or other concerned officers.

The DRUST DAM application was launched in October 2019 to improve price transparency and help curb market manipulation. Designed for citizens across Pakistan, the app provides official rate lists issued by district administrations, allows users to compare these with market prices, and enables them to lodge complaints against price hikes. It also includes a feature for ordering essential kitchen items.

Since its launch, the application has recorded around 189,290 downloads and has been viewed as an important digital tool for monitoring prices, particularly during Ramadan. The ongoing malfunction and the apparent coordination gap between NITB and the district administration have raised concerns about the effectiveness of digital price control mechanisms at a time when consumers rely heavily on official rate information.