29 September 2004	Wednesday	13 Shaban 1425

PESHAWAR, Sept 28: The Peshawar City District Government is under pressure from tandoor owners to increase the price of Roti before Ramazan, market sources said.

Talking to Dawn, some tandoor owners said an increase in the price of Nan was necessary because of the rise in prices of flour over a couple of weeks.

However, the district government is resisting the pressure to avoid an adverse reaction from the people who are already groaning under rising prices of foodstuff, high cost of utilities and ever-growing transport fares.

"While the price of atta has recorded a substantial increase during the past few months we are being told to keep the price of Roti intact," said Khaesta Gul, president of the Nanbayaan association.

The tandoor owners association at a meeting on Monday had decided to go on strike in October if the district government did not accept their demand by Sept 30, said Mr Gul.

He said the district government wanted tandoor owners to bear the additional cost caused by the increase in atta prices, which, he maintained, showed authorities' failure.

"If we do not increase the bread price we would be forced to close our shops due to the recent increase in atta price," Mr Gul added. The price of a 85kg bag of fine quality atta rose by around Rs50 during the last couple of weeks in Peshawar in the absence of an effective official mechanism to control flour prices.

Mr Gul said atta prices had increased significantly during the last one year, but the price of Roti was not being revised because the government wanted to avoid public resentment.

Tandoor owners said increase in atta price had affected their business. The current price of Rs2 per nan had become economically unviable due to increase in the prices of atta and hike in gas prices, they added.

"We would be left with no option but to shut our shops (tandoors) if our demand is not met," said Ghulam Maqsood, vice-president of the association. Fears of a showdown between the district government and tandoor owners were looming as Ramazan drew closer, according to market sources.

Last year too, tandoor owners had employed pressure tactics before Ramazan to force the government into accepting their demands. Taking advantage of the situation they had managed to get a decision in their favour from the district government.

"We have not been allowed to raise the Roti price from Rs2, although the district government had permitted us to reduce the weight of a dough," said Khaesta Gul - a point also confirmed by Dr Iqbal Khalil, Naib Nazim of the city district government, Peshawar.

According to the tandoor owners association, the district government had not allowed any increase in the price to avoid reaction from the public, though the weight of the dough had been reduced.

Dr Iqbal Khalil said the district government had allowed tandoor owners to reduce the weight from 150 gram to 130 gram temporarily in last Ramazan. Later, he added, it was made permanent through a notification issued after Ramazan.

Ghulam Maqsood said the association was justified in its demand for increase in the price of nan. "The time at which the weight of a dough was reduced to 130 grams from 150 grams, a 85kg atta bag was being sold at Rs1,040, now the price of same bag ranges between Rs1,180 and Rs1,200," he added.

Similarly, he said, rates of gas had gone up during the past one year. According to the market sources, taking advantage of the district government's in difference, tandoor owners have started selling bread which is much below the official weight of 130 grams - a point also conceded by the association's president.

"Bread makers take the advantage of the district government's consideration as we have been told clearly that the price of bread would not be increased from Rs2, while the weight could be overlooked," claimed Mr Gul.

Rejecting Mr Gul's claim, the naib nazim, however, said that the district government took strict action against those who were selling under-weight bread. "Several arrests have also been made in this respect," said Mr Khalil.

The association's representatives said no reply had been received from the district government to their repeated requests seeking increase in the price of bread.