RAWALPINDI: It seems there is no government writ because city’s Naanbais are not only violating price list but looting public both hands and selling a ‘roti’ for Rs10 against Rs7 and a ‘Naan’ for Rs12 against Rs10. The Naanbais without prior notification of concerned management has increased roti price by Rs3 from Rs7 to Rs10 and Naan price by Rs2 from Rs10 to Rs12, but local administration playing both sides of wicket and seeing the whole drama with closed eyes in this regard.
On the other hand, District Food Department has denied to increase price of a 20kg bag of ‘Atta’ and said that a 20kg bag of ‘Atta’ is selling for Rs800 on sales point and Rs805 in retail shops.
The city’s Naanbais did not attend the meeting called by the deputy commissioner (DC), Rawalpindi, to fix ‘roti’ and ‘Naan’ rates.
The City Government, Rawalpindi, Spokesman Muhammad Asim told The News that deputy commissioner has fixed the price of a ‘roti’ for Rs7 and a ‘Naan’ for Rs10, but Naanbais are violating this order and selling a ‘roti’ for Rs10 and a ‘Naan’ for Rs12. The deputy commissioner, Rawalpindi, had called a meeting of traders and Naanbais a day back to warn them to sell ‘roti’ and ‘naan’ on controlled rates, but Naanbais not attended this meeting, he said. “The deputy commissioner has decided to start crackdown against Naanbais they are selling roti and naan for higher prices,” he said.
Rawalpindi Naanbais Welfare Association (RNWA) President Muhammad Shafiq Qureshi said that they have increased prices of ‘roti’ from Rs7 to Rs10 and ‘naan’ from Rs10 to Rs12. We could not continue our business at loss; if local administration tried to harass us, we will go on strike for an indefinite period.
He alleged that while the government is continuously increasing ‘Atta’ prices how we could sell a ‘roti’ for Rs7 and a ‘naan’ for Rs10. He also said they had given time to the administration concerned to increase ‘roti’ and ‘Naan’ prices but nothing came out of it. 79kg ‘Atta’ sack is selling for Rs4,500 against Rs3,400 and 79kg ‘meda’ sack is selling for Rs4,600 against Rs3,500, he said. The government has increased gas prices as well; how we could sell a ‘roti’ and ‘naan’ for Rs7 and Rs10, he said.
District Food Department (DFD) Spokesman Muhammad Ali said that the Punjab government has not increased prices of ‘Atta’. He said that on the directions of Prime Minister Imran Khan, we have decreased rates of ‘Atta’ and selling a 20kg bag for Rs800 on sale point and at Rs803 on retail shops.
The residents of city have, however, appealed to the authority concerned to show its writ because Naanbais were openly looting them both hands and selling a ‘roti’ for Rs10 against Rs7 and a ‘naan’ for Rs12 against Rs10. How a poor man could buy a ‘roti’ and ‘naan’ for this price, residents strongly denounced.