Roti and Naan Prices increased in Lahore, Despite Fixed Government Rates

LAHORE: The official rate for a roti in Lahore is Rs. 16. Try buying one at that price, though, and you’ll likely be told otherwise — most bakeries in the city are now charging Rs. 20, and customers say what they’re getting for that money is smaller and thinner than before.

Complaints have been piling up for weeks. People say the roti doesn’t just cost more — it weighs less too, and often falls short of the quality bakeries are supposed to maintain under government rules.

Naan hasn’t been spared either. What used to sell for Rs20 in many parts of the city is now going for Rs. 30, a jump that’s hitting households already stretched thin by other rising costs.

The Punjab Food Security Department isn’t buying the bakers’ side of the story. Officials there say wheat flour is available in plenty and see no real justification for the price hikes. They’ve promised to send inspection teams out to bakeries across the city to check pricing, weight, and quality — and to act against those found overcharging.

Bakers, for their part, aren’t backing down. Aftab Gul, who heads the United Non-Roti Association, says the math simply doesn’t work at Rs16 anymore. Flour costs more, so does fine flour, LPG prices have gone up, even the plastic bags used to hand out bread cost more than they used to. His demand: let bakers charge Rs. 25 for a plain roti, officially.

For now, the standoff continues — officials pointing to fixed rates, bakers pointing to their expenses, and customers caught in between paying more for less.