MANSEHRA: Nanbais observed a shutter down strike here on Thursday complaining about the district administration’s move to reduce the roti prices.

They announced that they would open shops only after the rates were reversed.

“We [tandoor owners] won’t accept the new roti prices fixed by the district administration and have decided to go on strike for an indefinite period,” Mansehra Nanbais Association president Sardar Zaheer Hussain told reporters.

The shutter down strike was reported on Abbottabad Road, Kashmir Road, Shinkiari Road, Lari Adda, and other areas of Mansehra city and adjoining areas. However, tandoors provided roti to restaurants.

Say govt move unreasonable amid high inflation

Complying with the provincial government’s orders, deputy commissioner Bilal Shahid Rao set the rates for every roti weighing 100 grams and 200 grams at Rs15 and Rs30, respectively, the other day.

The nanbais association’s president said the roti rates fixed by the administration were unacceptable to tandoor owners for being unreasonable amid high inflation.

“Inflation has hit an all-time high, so you better decide how we can run our business in such circumstances,” he said.

Mr Hussain said nanbais would prefer shutting down businesses than accepting the unjustified roti rates set by the district administration.

The residents suffered due to the nanbais’ strike. They demanded of the government to enforce its decision to slash roti rates.

They said the rate of wheat flour had come down significantly in recent days and was likely to reduce further in the days ahead due to the projected bumper wheat crop.

“When flour price goes up slightly, nanbais take no time to increase roti price but when the government has ordered them to slash it they’ve refused to do so. It is unacceptable,” said resident Mohammad Ajmal.

He said the roti price of Rs25 was unacceptable following a recent cut in the flour price.

RELEASE OF FUNDS DEMANDED: The chairmen of village and neighbourhood councils in Balakot tehsil here on Thursday demanded of the government to immediately release funds for municipal and social services.

“Village, neighbourhood and tehsil councils provide basis for the democratic setup and offer basic services to residents. Two years have passed since the establishment of these bodies but we’re still without funds and other rights,” chairman of the Pattan Des village council in Kaghan Valley Raja Khalid Nawaz told reporters here.

Accompanied by the chairmen of village and neighbourhood council from Balakot tehsil, he said the successive governments in the province ignored local bodies and tried to do away with the LG system.

“We, local body representatives across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, are united to claim rights. We will thwart any government bid to wind up this system,” he said.

Mr Nawaz said the local body members from Balakot tehsil would join the street protests by their counterparts in the province.

“The government should immediately release development funds to village, neighbourhood and tehsil councils and empower them in accordance with the LG Act, 2013,” he said.

The village council’s chairman said the Election Commission of Pakistan should hold elections for the presiding officers of local bodies without them as the council meetings couldn’t take place for the last two consecutive years due to the absence of the custodians of those houses.

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2024