SWABI: The nanbais observed complete strike in Razaar tehsil here on Wednesday while demanding of the district administration to allow increase in the roti (bread) price in line with the increased price of wheat flour.

They announced that the shutdown strike would continue on Thursday (today) as well and it might be prolonged if the administration failed to accept their demand.

Tandoors Association of Razaar tehsil had given the call for the strike. The nanbais said that if the roti price wasn’t increased they would keep their shops closed for an indefinite period.

“We are not in a position to follow the current official price of Rs10 per bread,” said one of the nanbais.

The association’s president Tariq Ali said that when the 20kg wheat flour bag was sold at Rs750 the 180 grams roti price was Rs10, which was still the same though the flour bag price had shot up to Rs1,400.

“By following the official price of roti I have personally suffered losses of Rs300,000 during the last three months, but now I am no longer in a position to sell roti at Rs10,” he said.

Similarly, the price of fuel wood has jumped from Rs500 to Rs800 per 50kg, said Tajmul Shah, the association’s general secretary. They said they would meet Razaar tehsil assistant commissioner and request him to double the roti price and announce the same.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2021