Breakfast without bread in Kashmir as bakers go on strike

Srinagar, Nov 8 : People had their breakfast without bread in the Kashmir Valley as bakers went on an indefinite strike, demanding increase in the price besides subsidy on ingredients.

More than 30,000 workers of bakery shops (known as kandur in Kashmiri) across the Valley went on indefinite strike this morning, protesting against the authorities.

People in the Valley, particularly in Srinagar city and its outskirts, had their breakfast without the Kashmiri roti. "We had only 'nakeem tea' in the morning today as all bakery shops in our area were closed," said Batmaloo resident Abdul Hamid.

The flour is not available in the market for the past two weeks, and some shopkeepers are selling flour on very high rate to selected customers only.

Earlier, the bakers had gone on a day-long strike on November 5, demanding increase in the prices of Kashmiri roti in view of increase in the prices of flour and other ingredients. However, the next day some of the bakery shops resumed their work after increasing the cost of roti.

While the cost of a roti after an increase of 50 per cent in uptown, including Natipora, was Rs 3, in downtown, including Rainawari, it was being sold at Rs 4, an increase of 100 per cent.

The bakers across the Valley resumed their work after the government sought ten days time to resolve the issue. But, the bakers association alleged that yesterday the officials of Consumer Affair and Public Distribution (CA&PD) raided several bakery shops and fined them without any justification.

They decided not to resume their work until the new prices are fixed by the government.

--UNI

(c) 2009 Published with permission from United News of India.
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