LAHORE (Dunya News/Web Desk) – Amid a declining inflation, people will now buy cheaper bread – commonly known as “double roti” – from bakeries as the district administration in Lahore lowered the prices by up to Rs70.
A notification issued by Lahore Deputy Commissioner Rafia Haider says that maximum price of 750 gram bread is fixed at Rs180 against the previous rate of Rs220 to Rs250.
Similarly, the 400 gram bread has been priced at Rs95 which was being sold for Rs120 to Rs140, with the deputy commissioner saying that the new prices will be applicable with immediate effect.
It is the Punjab Price Control of Essential Commodities Ordinance, 2023, promulgated by the governor before the February 8 elections, which enables the administration to fix the rates of such items.
The latest move follows the trend starting with reducing the roti prices as Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has been focusing on curbing inflation and activating the administration at district level to check the rising rates of daily use items.
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Down from an earlier high roti price of Rs20 per 100 gram, the rates were first fixed at from Rs15 to Rs16 in different districts. However, the chief minister later pushed for further decrease, which means the roti prices are currently ranging between Rs12 to Rs14.
Meanwhile, the administration in remaining districts of Punjab are also expected to follow the Lahore deputy commissioner in the coming hours and days.
With the wheat prices on a slide much to the delight of an inflation-hit overwhelming majority, the flour prices as well as of other products produced by processing the grain have been witnessing a massive decline, which should also be reflected in bakery items.
Earlier, Punjab Food Minister Bilal Yasin at a meeting had given a May 27 deadline, which passed yesterday, to lower the prices of various bakery items, saying that wheat and flour prices had dropped by 30 per cent to 48 per cent over the past two months.
That’s why he directed the stakeholders, mainly bakery owners and mass producers, to slash the prices of products such as double bread and buns.