LAHORE, OCT 25: The Muttahida Nanbai Association has raised the prices of naan and khameeri roti by five rupees without any official notification from the government.
According to details surfaced on Saturday, the self-imposed increase has caused concern among citizens already burdened by rising food costs.
In Punjab, after vegetables and fruits, the prices of naan and roti have also gone up. The retail price has risen from Rs25 rupees to Rs30 per piece. Residents urged the government to provide relief and take notice of the price hike.
Tandoor owners said that the increase was unavoidable due to the higher cost of flour, liquefied petroleum gas and labour. They maintained that the surge in input costs had left them with no alternative.
The unilateral rise by the Muttahida Nanbai Association has added to public hardship, while the government’s silence has raised questions.
Meanwhile, in Peshawar, a restriction on the supply of flour from Punjab has pushed flour prices up sharply. In response, local bakers set new rates and weights on their own. The weight of a roti has been reduced from 150 grams to 80 grams, now sold for Rs20.
Weight of roti reduced to 80
Previously, a 20-rupee roti weighed 150 grams. Nanbai said that the price of an 80-kilogram flour sack had climbed from Rs6,500 to as high as Rs12,000. They said that the increase of more than Rs5,000 per sack had forced them to cut the weight and raise prices.
The restriction on flour supply from Punjab has shifted the entire burden to consumers, leaving the public to bear the cost of soaring rates.
