KP govt cuts roti price, Nanbais reject decision

PESHAWAR: The KP government on Monday announced a decrease in the prices of roti. However, nanbais rejected the decision citing prevailing high rates of flour.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Food Zahir Shah Toru said that the prices of roti/bread had been slashed by Rs5. He said that the prices of 100 grams and 200 grams roti would now be Rs15 and Rs30, respectively.

The minister said the government was taking steps to provide relief to the poor and middle class in the province. He said that the government was utilizing all resources to control the price-hike.

He said the government had decided in the best interests of the people, directing the officials of district administration and Food Department to regularly monitor the prices of bread across the province.

The minister said that the decision to reduce the price of roti had been taken after consulting Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur. Meanwhile, Nanbhai Association President Farooq told The News that they were not aware of the government decision. He said that they came to know about the decision through the media.

He termed the cut in prices of bread unilateral, saying the government had neither taken the nanbais into confidence nor consulted them prior to the decision.

Farooq said that the decision was not acceptable to them and they would resist it at all costs. He said the 80 kg flour bag price had reached Rs15,000 and the government wanted to reduce the roti price after a mere Rs600 decrease in the price of flour.

He said that they would hold a meeting and then announce their future line of action tomorrow. The nanbais body chief said that it was an unjust decision to force the bakers to reduce the prices without being provided any compensation. He said that it was not feasible for the bakers to continue their business with such rates.

He said their association had held meetings with the district administration for increasing the price of the roti. “We had agreed after several consultative meetings that the bakers would fix the price of 130 grams roti at Rs25,” he said. He added that the administration then delayed the notification saying that it would create problems if the notification was made before the general election. However, after the election, it was delayed for Ramazan and now the government made the announcement against their previously agreed rates and weight of bread.