Flatbread sells for Rs60 as Naanbai strike in K-P enters second day

Yousafzai says the provincial government is providing flour on subsidised rates

PESHAWAR: People across the province continued to face trouble in acquiring flatbread as bread ovens (tandoors) remained closed in most parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) for a second day on Tuesday as naanbai associations continued their protest.

Even though the supply of flour has started to flow in the province, the price of flatbread has gone up in some areas.

The Naanbai Association of the province had gone on strike on Monday after failed talks with the K-P government. The association had demanded that the government upwardly revise the price for naan in the province in the wake of skyrocketing prices of flour due to a shortage.

However, it is in the rural areas of the province where the people are experiencing the most problem as tandoors are either closed due to shortage of flour, or the strike and if neither is an issue, then low gas pressure keeps them closed. As a result, there were reports that a single naan was reportedly being sold for as much as Rs60.

Meanwhile, locals told The Express Tribune that the government had announced it will supply a 20-kilogramme bag of flour for Rs800. However, they said that the larger, 85-kilogramme sack of flour was not available for less than Rs5,200 (or Rs61 per kilogramme instead of the government stipulated price of Rs40) in the provincial capital.

Moreover, locals said that the cold weather, rains and low gas pressure in the provincial capital had forced them to purchase flatbread at higher prices.

Food minister presses 

Meanwhile, the provincial Food Minister Qalander Khan Lodhi on Tuesday paid a surprise visit to the Rampur gate in the old city area of Peshawar. Speaking to media there, the minister claimed there were sufficient stocks of flour and wheat in the province.

He voiced hope that the naanbais will call off their strike on Wednesday (today).

“The shutter down strike of the naanbai association is uncalled for as the government has assured supplies at subsidised rates,” the minister said, adding that fresh meetings with the flour mills association, the naanbai association and flour dealers had proven successful and that in wake of sufficient supply of flour, the protest should be called off.

District administration action

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the district administration said that they had sealed two flour mills for selling subsidised wheat at higher prices in the market.

In a statement, the official said that they had also visited several flour mills in the Buddani area of the provincial capital. 

Published in The Express Tribune, January 22^nd, 2020.