Roti, naan prices hiked by up to Rs7
Naanbais in the garrison city have further increased the price of roti, naan (bread) and paratha by up to Rs7. 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) has been increased from Rs13 to Rs20, the price of yeast bread from Rs20 to Rs25, the price of seed-blended naan from Rs25 to Rs30 and the price of paratha and rogani naan paratha from Rs40 from Rs50.
Naanbai Association’s Central President Shafiq Qureshi Khan told The Express Tribune that six months ago, the price of the red flour sack was Rs5,500 but today it has jumped to Rs8,800, the sack of fine flour was Rs6,200, which has been increased to Rs9,200, fine flour was Rs6,600, which has been increased to Rs9,300.
He went on to say that the price of the LPG cylinder has been increased from Rs7,000 to Rs15,000.
“Let the district administration tell us at what price should we sell bread in such a situation?” he said. He said that bakers are getting a bag of 20kg flour for Rs2,200 and the rates of oil and sesame seeds have also increased.
He went on to say that, if the district administration did not issue the notification of new bread rates, they will be left with no option but to protest. He appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi to stop the economic murder of Naanbais.
He said that if their demands were not met, they will call a complete shutter-down strike across Punjab next week.
He said that the prices of raw material ghee, oil sesame seed and milk powder have also increased up to 90 per cent. He said that the Naanbai association has approved the new prices and new rates will be effective immediately. The Naanbai association has asked the Rawalpindi district administration to issue a notification of new rates, he said.
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 five and-a-half-month during the tenure of the current government, which has badly failed to contain inflation and skyrocketing prices of essential items.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 4th, 2022.