October 05, 2008	Sunday	Shawwal 05, 1429

RAWALPINDI, Oct 4: People who had enjoyed Roti at Rs2 during Ramazan as a blessing from Allah were shocked when the Naanbais and Tandoorwalas charged them Rs5 to Rs10 for the same on the Eid day.

And the phenomenon was experienced not just in Rawalpindi and Islamabad but was as far away as Attock.

Everywhere the reason given by the Naanbais for the phenomenal rise in price was the Punjab government's failure to keep its promise to provide them 20kg bag of flour at the subsidised rate of Rs250. Though the people had suffered the business class's lust for profit during the holy month, they were expecting the government fixed price of Roti to stick a little longer.

Citizens of the twin cities only wish the authorities would enforce the price they fix.

But the Naanbais on the other hand threatened on Saturday that they would shut down their business if they were forced by the government to sell Roti for Rs2.

“In case the government did that, we will have no choice but to shut down our tandoors (ovens).

We cannot sell at that price, considering the increased prices of gas, electricity and higher cost of labour and rent of the shops,” Khawas Khan Jadoon, President of Islamabad Rawalpindi Naanbais Association (IRNA) old.

It is learnt that some Naanbai representatives tried to meet city official Arshad Warraich, who heads a related committee, to discuss how to make the Rs2 price stick.

But not finding him, they decided among themselves to raise the price of Roti and to close the business if forced to sell at the prescribed price. These Naanbais argued that Roti was being sold for Rs2 in 1994 when flour, gas, electricity and other expenditures cost far less than today.

“Today, even if the government provides us 20kg bag of flour for Rs250, we cannot sell Roti for Rs2 as that price saves us nothing for our children,” claimed Mr Jadoon.

The price of the 100gram Roti should be Rs5, he said.

But he warned that if government did not provide subsidised flour after the recent hike in the price of wheat, IRNA members would be compelled to further increase the price of Roti.

Akhter Ali, who had bought six Rotis in Ahmedabad locality said the government should reach an agreement with the Naanbais on the price and enforce it to save the consumers from every day change.

District coordination officer (DCO) Rawalpindi could not be contacted for his comments on the issue.

ATTOCK: Contrary to the claims of the provincial government, Roti was sold at Rs5 to Rs10 in almost all parts of the city during Eid days.

Taking full advantage of the absence of inspection teams formed by the district administration, the tandoorwalas sold Roti at exorbitant rates on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

The excuse given to the customers for the higher rates was that the naanbais were not provided with the subsidised flour by the government during the Eid days. There were also reports that some of the tandoorwalas near Fowara Chowk charged Rs10 per naan, saying it weighed double than the normal naan.

The Punjab government is providing flour on subsidised rate to about 45 tandoors in Attock. After getting the subsidised flour some one week or so ago, the tandoorwalas had agreed to sell Roti weighing 100 gram at Rs2. However, a good number of them continued selling it on higher rates despite availing themselves of the government facility.

The tandoorwalas did not tell any customer that the price of Roti had been fixed at Rs2.

“After I placed my order for 15 Rotis, the tandoorwala asked for Rs150 which was shocking for me. I argued with him over the price and drew his attention towards a banner he had displayed in front of his shop but to no avail,” said a customer at the main bazaar.