ISLAMABAD, Feb 1: Tandoorwalas in the federal capital on Friday withdrew a fresh increase of Re1 in the price of Naan which will be available at Rs4 from Saturday.

However, their representative said the decision was for a period of three months only after which they would be again selling Naan at Rs5.

The decision to withdraw the latest increase was taken at a meeting of local administration attended by office-bearers of Naanbai Association Islamabad (NAI), flour mill owners and dealers.

“We have accepted the demand of the local administration and withdrew the recent increase in Naan price,” NAI secretary general Sardar Altaf Hussain Abbasi told Dawn after attending the meeting.

He said the price of Naan had been decreased after the local administration assured Tandoorwalas that the 85kg bag of flour would be provided to them at a cost of Rs1,670 against the current rate of Rs2,200.

“We have given the relief to the masses for the period of three months and after April we will again increase the price to Rs5,” he maintained.

Mr Abbasi said NAI had withdrawn the increase of Re1 in the price of Naan only, while other items like Pateer Roti, Qulcha and Roghni Naan would be sold at the increased price.

The association had recently raised the price of Naan from Rs4 to Rs5 after mill owners increased the price of wheat flour and fine during the recent flour crisis in the country. It is for the third time in over a year that the price of the staple Naan has been raised - first from Rs3 to Rs3.5 followed by Rs3.5 to Rs4 and then to Rs5.

Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Amer Ali directed the mill owners to provide adequate quantity of flour to Naanbais at the rate of Rs1,670 per 85kg fixed in the meeting.

On the directive of the DC, the flour dealers also reduced their margin of profit from Rs100 on each 85kg bag of atta to Rs50.

The official also asked Naanbais to maintain the quality of Naan and Roti and display the new price list at all Naan centres.

However, the NAI secretary-general said the local administration had asked the association to withdraw the fresh increase of Re1 in the price of Naan with an assurance that it would not question the quality and weight of Naan and Roti.

Currently, Naan weighs 120gm to 125gm and is prepared from flour called “fine” or flour from which bran has been separated.