LAHORE: The city district administration has accepted stance of the tandoor operators seeking increase in the price of naan from Rs15 to 20.

However, it has not allowed the operators to increase the price of roti from Rs10 to 15, according to Mutahidda Nanbai Association President Aftab Gill.

“Actually, we staged a protest demonstration outside the Lahore Press Club before Eid in a bid to press the government to accept our demands keeping in view the skyrocketing prices of fine atta (maida), flour and other items. But the administration didn’t bother about our protest that forced us to observe a shutter-down strike in Lahore on Wednesday,” Gill told this reporter on Friday.

He said the administration held dialogues with the association’s office-bearers. And finally the administration agreed to allow the tandoor operators to sell naan at Rs20 keeping in view the non-regulation of the maida prices under the law.

“Under the law, it is not the mandate of the government to regulate maida prices,” he said, adding that when the 84kg maida bag was being sold at Rs4,900 in the past, naan was also being sold at Rs15. But when the 80kg price increased to Rs7,700, the administration continued forcing the operators to sell it at the same price, which was not justified.

He said the administration also sought a 10-day time for provision of flour to the operators at subsidised prices so as to ensure provision of roti at Rs10.

“But if we are not provided the flour under subsidised prices, we will have no option but to increase price of roti from Rs10 to 15,” Gill added.

He said the administration also pledged to not make arrests of the operators by registering FIRs.

According to Gill, Lahore has over 10,000 tandoors providing jobs to nearly 40,000 workers. He said besides increase in the flour and maida prices, the operators have also been facing impact of the increased gas and electricity rates. Moreover, due to gas loadshedding, they are using the raw wood and LPG cylinders to keep tandoors operational.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2022