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TAXILA: Amid soaring inflation and shrinking household incomes, residents of Taxila and Wah Cantonment have been dealt another blow after tandoor owners unilaterally increased the prices of naan, roti and other bread items without any official notification
The local administration and price control committees have yet to take any visible action against the move
The unauthorised increase has triggered widespread resentment among consumers, particularly daily wage earners and low-income families who rely on roti and naan as their primary
Citizens accused the authorities of failing to enforce officially notified rates, allowing profiteering to flourish unchecked at a time when households are already struggling to make ends meet
A visit to the market showed that the price of a simple roti had jumped from Rs17 to Rs20, while naan is now being sold for Rs30 instead of Rs25. Kulcha has increased from Rs30 to Rs40 and paratha from Rs50 to Rs60. Consumers also complained that despite charging higher prices, many tandoors are selling underweight naan and roti. Although customers are paying Rs30 for a naan, its average weight has reportedly fallen to between 90 and 100 grams instead of the prescribed 120 grams
“It took almost two decades for the price of naan to rise gradually to Rs12 by 2022, and even then the increase was only one rupee after several years,” said consumer Raja Yasir
“Now, within just four years, the price has skyrocketed from Rs12 to Rs30. This is nothing short of exploitation.”
Social activist Kalsoom Choudhry said the steep rise in prices of a basic food item reflected the growing hardships faced by ordinary citizens. She said roti, once considered the cheapest millions as unchecked profiteering continues while regulatory authorities appear to be in deep slumber
Office-bearers of the local Nanbai Association defended the increase, arguing that the soaring cost of flour, expensive LPG, rising transportation charges and higher packaging costs had made it impossible for tandoor owners to continue selling roti at the government-notified price of Rs17
They said fuel prices, seasonal supply disruptions and escalating input costs had increased the cost of production
Earlier, the Punjab government introduced a permit-based system for the movement of wheat and flour across provincial borders in an effort to stabilise prices and curb shortages
However, despite these regulatory measures, wheat and flour prices have continued their upward trend
Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2026
