PESHAWAR: The nanbais (bakers) of the provincial capital showed unity in their ranks on Tuesday by closing their outlets to press the local administration into increasing the roti price.
However, a partial strike by nanbais was seen on the outskirts of the city.
The current official price of roti weighing 120 grammes is Rs6 but nanbais want the government to immediately increase it to Rs10 for 130 grammes over the higher flour price.
The Peshawar Nanbai Association had given the call for strike, which is to continue for indefinite period.
The closure of tandoors (ovens) stressed out the people, who were seen driven from pillar to post for roti.
Ijaz Khan, a local resident, said the strike caught him unawares.
“As usual, I went to the market to bring rotis but was surprised to find all tandoors closed. I learned about the strike from a shopkeeper,” he said.
Shahbaz Butt, a resident of Munda Bari area, said his family was away and therefore, he had to use stale breads in breakfast due to the nanbais’ strike.
Many restaurants and makeshift eateries had prepared themselves for the strike by storing rotis in bulk, while some brought in rotis for customers from tandoors on the city’s outskirts, where the strike was partial.
Owner of a small makeshift eatery in Peshawar’s cantonment area said he had gotten rotis made in large numbers before Tuesday dawn.
“Today, I’d no problem and did the business as usual but I’m really worried for Wednesday if the nanbais’ strike continues,” he said.
A restaurant worker from within the city said they had brought rotis from Taru Jabba area in Nowshera district, which was 15 kilometres from the city, to serve customers.
When contacted, Peshawar Nanbai Association president Mohammad Iqbal said the strike would continue until the local administration increased the roti prices as demanded by bakers.
He said the price of the 85kg bag of fine flour had increased from Rs3100 to Rs4100 over two months but the district administration was unwilling to increase the official roti price.
Mr Iqbal said the administration had fixed six rupees for 120 grammes bread when the price of the 85kg flour bag was Rs3100.
He said with the increase of Rs1000 per bag, he said the district administration didn’t agree to the demand for increase in roti price.
The association president demanded that the government fix the price of 130 grammes roti at Rs10 otherwise nanbais shut down their business.
He said the strike would spread to other parts of the province if the desired increase in roti price wasn’t notified without delay.
Deputy commissioner of Peshawar Zaheerul Islam told Dawn that there was no justification for strike by nanbais as the flour price had increased not only in Peshawar but also in other parts of province.
He said there was a proper mechanism in place to fix or review the roti price.
“We’ve a committee, which is tasked with fixing flour price or reviewing it. In fact, nanbais are in the habit of demanding increase in roti price on a daily basis,” he said.
The deputy commissioner said actually, flour dealers having tandoors were behind the strike as they want to increase their profits,” he said.
He said he was hopeful that by and large, tandoors in the city would open today (Wednesday).
When contacted, adviser to the chief minister on food and MPA Qalandar Lodhi alleged that the caretaker government’s failure to procure wheat led to flour shortage in the province.
“Normally, wheat is procured in April, May and June every year but the caretaker government didn’t allow the food department to do so over involvement of huge amount,” he said.
The adviser also said flour price had increased in other parts of the country, including Punjab, and that the difference of flour price in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should not be more than Rs20-Rs25 per bag.
He denied shortage of flour and wheat in the province and said some profiteers were involved in the temporary increase of flour price.
Mr Lodhi said the food department and administrations of all districts had been directed to tackle the issue seriously and ensure availability of flour at the government’s fixed price.
“The food department has signed agreement with Pakistan Agriculture Storage and Service Corporation for supply of 0.4 million tonnes of wheat to flourmills and the supply has already begun. Hopefully, the flourmills will begin supplying flour to the market within the next few days,” he said.
Also in Charsadda district, bakers went on a strike over denial of increase in the bread price.
Due to closures of shops, most of the restaurant, hotels and Tikka shops remained closed. President of Charsadda Bakers Association Haji Fazl Rabbi demanded that the government supply flour to bakers at subsidised rate to the benefit of the people.