ISLAMABAD, Oct 29: Hot ‘Naan’ has become dearer in the city. It is now being sold by Tandoorwalas for Rs3.50, or 50 paisas more than the officially fixed rate of Rs3. Some restaurants are charging even Rs4.

Sources in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration told Dawn that the price had been raised by Naan makers without seeking its approval.

Usually the price of Naan is fixed by the local administration and the revised price is implemented after official notification, the sources said.

The sudden increase in the price of Naan would particularly pinch the low-income families hardest.

People in different parts of the city felt disturbed that the increase would upset their household budgets.

Tandoorwalas however argued that fresh increases in the price of wheat flour, gas tariff and transportation charges made the increase in the price of their product inevitable.

“We have increased the price of Naan after two years. During those two years the price of wheat flour, transportation and gas charges went up 20 to 30 per cent,” Tandoorwala Gul Khan in G-7 Markaz said.

The Rs3 price of Naan fixed two years ago was raised to Rs3.50 just before Eidul Fitr.

Gul Khan blamed the increase on the recent increase in the cost of producing Naan. An 80kg bag of wheat flour which cost Rs960 till recently today costs Rs1,100. Price of wheat flour of fine quality has similarly increased from Rs1,250 per 80kg to Rs1,400.

When contacted, Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Chaudhry Mohammad Ali said Tandoorwalas had been demanding revision of rates of Naan for last two months but he told them that that could not be allowed during the holy month of Ramazan.

“The ICT administration had assured them that the official rates of Naan and Roti would be revised after Eid. But instead of waiting for the official revision, they seem to have taken advantage of Eid to fix their own rates,” he said.

The official said his administration would “definitely take action” against the Tandoorwalas for that, but added that he would first try to resolve the issue in a meeting with the Islamabad Tandoorwalas Association on November 2.

“I think we have to allow a slight increase in the price of Naan for them to continue in the business,” he added.

“We will also discuss the issue of weight with the association and make an agreement so that official price and weight of Naan could be decided,” said the official, referring to a drive by the ICT administration to check Tandoorwalas from short-changing their customers with lighter breads.