Punjab govt caps roti price at Rs14

LAHORE:The Punjab government has decided not to fix the price of tandori roti, a commonly consumed flat baked bread, but has capped upper price limit at Rs14 per piece in what it called a step for protecting the food security of 130 million people living in the province.

There will be no wheat crisis this year and no wheat will be imported. By not purchasing wheat, the government will save Rs200 million daily in interest payments, said Special Assistant to the Chief Minister Punjab, Salma Butt here on Friday.

SACM stated that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has provided a Rs15 billion package to support wheat farmers with 5-7 acres of land to protect them from losses during the wheat harvest.

The government will also provide storage facilities for wheat, where banks will provide up to 70 per cent of the loan, and the Punjab government will bear the markup for four months, she added. Special Assistant to the Punjab Chief Minister said that the Punjab government would bear the markup on financing of Rs100 billion for flour mills to purchase additional wheat for six months.

The SACM said that the Punjab government would also discuss value-added wheat exports with the federal government. In the future, the government will sell wheat at market prices, she added.

Salma Butt, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister, stated that no trader or industrialist is a mafia, but rather a contributor to the country's economy. She assured that the government would address the concerns of flour mills and ensure that the price of roti would not increase.