Roti, naan prices hiked by Rs10

Rising flour price and high power tariff cited as reason for price increase

RAWALPINDI:

Naanbais in the garrison city have announced to further increase the price of roti, naan (bread) and paratha by Rs10 each from September 23. The Naanbais cited the hike in the price of wheat flour, natural gas and electricity tariffs for the increase in the price of roti and naan.

They said that the price of red flour roti (pateeri) will be increased from Rs12 to Rs20, the price of simple naan from Rs20 to Rs30, the price of seed-blended naan from Rs25 to Rs35 and the price of paratha and rogani naan will be raised to Rs50 from Rs40. The Naanbais have sent the requisition to the district administration seeking a notification to enforce the new prices.

Naanbai Association’s Central President Shafiq Qureshi and central leader Rafiq Ahmed Khan told The Express Tribune that in the last five-and-a-halfmonth, the sack of red flour has jumped from Rs5,500 to Rs7,000, a sack of flour and fine flour has increased from Rs6,500 to Rs9,500 and the prices continue to go up with each passing day.

They said that the electricity tariff of commercial consumers including tandoors has been increased by 150 per cent in the last less than six months and the price of natural gas for commercial consumers has been increased by 100 per cent. The Naanbais said that the price of the commercial gas cylinder has been increased from Rs12,500 to Rs17,000. The rents of the oven have also been increased and wages of workers baking naan and roti have also been increased by Rs500.

They said that the prices of raw material ghee, oil sesame seed and milk powder have also increased up to 90 per cent. The two leaders said that the Naanbai association has approved the new prices and new rates will be effective from coming Friday. The Naanbai association has asked the Rawalpindi district administration to issue a notification of new rates, they said.

They said that the general body of the Nanbai association has decided that if Naanbais were challaned or fined over the new price, Naanbais of the twin cities will go on a shutter-down strike and a sit-in will be staged in Katchehry Chowk. They said that tandoors used to get a bag of 20 kg flour for Rs980 to Rs1,000 six months ago but now the same bag was available for Rs2,200. They said that they had no option but to increase the prices of roti and naan.

In response to a question, the president of the Naanbai association said that the increase in the price of roti and naan was based on the existing prices of flour. “If the government increases the prices of flour further in the future, we will also be forced to increase the prices of roti and naan again,” he said. The price of roti and naan has been increased for the third time in the last fiveand-a-half-month during the tenure of the current government, which has badly failed to contain inflation and skyrocketing prices of essential items.

A construction labourer, Zulqarnain Ali, said that earlier “we used to make curry by ourselves and purchase roti from the tandoor. But now it will be very difficult for lowincome group people to buy roti for Rs30. “We are being shown the way to turn to langar khanas to quench our hunger,” he said.