Tandoor owners in Islamabad and Rawalpindi raise naan, roti, and paratha prices, prompting public outrage as authorities fail to enforce official rates.
Unauthorized Price Hikes Across Islamabad and Rawalpindi
Owners of tandoors in Islamabad and Rawalpindi have raised the price of naan, roti and paratha without any official allowance and it is frustrating the people in the face of rising cost of living. The illegitimate increase in prices has been met with criticism since the local governments of the two cities have not done anything to stop the offenders.
Citizens Decry Lack of Government Oversight
The residents confirmed that the price of the roti has increased by 15 to 20 rupees and the cost of a naan has also increased to 30 rupees up against 25 rupees. Equally, kulcha has gone up in price by a margin of Rs30 to Rs40 and paratha which was sold at Rs50 is currently being sold at Rs60. These sudden skyrockets have been most detrimental to the daily wage earners and low income households since bread is a daily food stuff in most Pakistani families.
The people have shown anger on the fact that no one is keeping an eye on what is happening in the two districts of Islamabad, and Rawalpindi. According to them, tandoor owners are taking advantage of the inflationary situation to charge at will and further pressurize consumers who are already facing high food, transportation and utility bills. It has been called upon by many people to the authorities to strictly apply the measures of price control and to make sure that official rates lists are adhered to.
Tandoor Owners Cite Rising Costs as Justification
Without proper regulation, the owners of most tandoors claim that they have been compelled to change their prices due to the high cost of flour, higher gas charges and higher operation costs. They still cling to the fact that it is no longer economical to conduct business under the present economic circumstances and it is only through price adjustments that we can avoid losses.
Economic Experts Call for Stronger Regulation
However, economical specialists emphasize the necessity of a moderate intervention. They propose that the cost pressures are real but the government should intensify its market monitoring and enact laws to protect the consumers. There are possibilities of further inflationary spirals and increased dissatisfaction by the people who unchecked price manipulation may cause the situation to get even worse.
Public Demands Immediate Administrative Action
People have also gone to social media to report their discrepancies in rates in various parts of Rawalpindi where the tandoor shops still charge higher than the announced rates. The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration and Rawalpindi District Administration have also been put under pressure by the civil society activists to initiate inspections in order to restore price discipline.
The problem of price control of tandoor has been lingering in the twin cities since years. Although there are regular crackdowns and fines, enforcement is still open to inconsistency and the tandoor owners go back to arbitrary pricing when the administrative attention is diverted. As the inflation rate keeps rising and wages are not growing, citizens are in panic that the situation will only deteriorate unless something is done in a short time to control the prices of basic commodities.
