Tandoor owners demand old rates to continue business

Bashir Hussain Azad

CHITRAL: Owners of tandoors in Chitral town and nearby areas have closed their units and demanded that the old rate of naan should be restored to enable them to continue business.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Naanbais Union president Bashir Ahmed, vice president Muhammad Ibrahim, general secretary Muhammad Wasi and others said due to the rising costs of flour and firewood and other expenses it was not possible for them to sell a 200 gram naan at Rs30 as fixed by the district administration.

They said the sale of 180 gram naan at Rs40 was possible. They said they have kept their tandoors closed for many days in order to avoid losses of thousands of rupees daily.  They also said scores of their colleagues had been sent to jail after they even could not afford paying fines amounting to Rs5,000.

The tandoor owners said in the winters their business faces a slump but due to the unjustified rate fixed by the district administration it was not possible for them to continue business even in the summer now.