As the nanbais (bread makers) continue on second consecutive day on Tuesday, the flour price has skyrocketed up to Rs70-75 per kg in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while putting tremendous burden on the general public as government failed to control the inflationary prices.
At shops, whole wheat flour is costing Rs64 per kg whereas shopkeepers are charging white flour up to Rs70-80 per kg. According to a market survey carried out by this scribe, it was noted that a bag of super fine wheat flour weighing 85kg is being sold for Rs5,200 and a 20kg bag is being sold for Rs1,100
Despite that the subsidised wheat flour is not available at specific sale points allocated by utility stores whereas the administration has been claiming 20kg wheat flour bag being sold at Rs808.
On the other hand, the strike of Nanbais (bread makers) has continued on second consecutive day on Tuesday, in bid to force the government to issue a new rate list after the increase in the prices of wheat. With a very limited number of bread ovens open, residents across the province are facing immense difficulties, as the traditional flatbread is being sold at Rs60 per piece.
The bread ovens (tandoors) across the province remained shut with naanbais' strike over rising prices of flour due to which the miseries of Peshawar residents has been multiplied as they also faced acute gas and electricity loadshedding and could not prepare roti at home.
The association has threatened to continue the strike until flour prices are adjusted. They argue that it was impossible to sell flatbread on the government-fixed prices owing to the ongoing wheat crisis in the country.
On the other hand, nanbais demanded the price of roti (weighing 170g) to be fixed at Rs15 while claiming that wood and gas tariffs have also been increased.
Meanwhile, the supply of wheat flour from Punjab to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been restored and crisis in making has been avoided, said deputy commissioner Peshawar. He said 100 more trucks will arrive from Punjab late night on Tuesday.
DC said that about 50 percent tandoors are opened in Peshawar. He said there is no shortage of wheat flour as available in sufficient quantity.
The official said the flour mills quota has been increased at 5,000 ton from 4,000 ton. He said a 20kg flour bag is being sold at Rs808 in open market.
"A convoy of 25 trucks, carrying consignment of wheat flour, has reached Peshawar," the dealers association said. The price of a 20 KG bag has dropped to 1100 rupees from earlier price of 1200, dealers said.
Maqsood Ahmad, a resident of the Gulbahar, said that people bought roti from the market due to gas loadshedding in their locality but the strike had added to their woes. "We are compelled to either buy roti at inflated prices or cook it using firewood," he complained.
A nanbai, Awal Rehman, said that they could not sell roti for Rs10 because of the sudden increase in flour prices. He said that it was not only the flour price that had gone up but their utility bills had also increased manifold during the last few months. "Even if the flour price had not increased, selling roti for Rs10 caused a loss to us," he argued.
Muhammad Iqbal Khan, President of the Nanbais Association of Peshawar said that the protest would continue till the government accepted their demands and warned that their strike would spread to the entire province if the government did not grant their demands.
Abdul Majeed Qureshi, the Association General Secretary, shared that rumours were circulating that the government was planning to launch a crackdown against them. He clarified that the government had made them jobless and the crackdown would not deter them from demanding their legitimate rights.
Qureshi claimed that the district administration asked the nanbais to open their businesses and allegedly assured them no action would be taken against them for selling a 100-gram roti for Rs10.
"It is very strange that the Peshawar district administration refused to accept when we demanded issuance of notification of 115-gram roti for Rs10," the association office bearer said.