NT NETWORK
MARGAO
President of the All Goa Association of Bakers Agapito Menezes, on Saturday, informed that the price of pao will be increased from Rs 3 to Rs 4 from August 1.
This decision was taken collectively by the members of the association at the general body meeting held at Margao.
The members agreed to increase price of 50 gram pao.
The decision has come after the announcement by rival association – All Goa Bakers and Confectioneries Association recently that the price of pao would be increased to Rs 5 with a slight increase in weight. This association had also said that Rs 3 pao would be also sold in the market.
“We cannot directly increase the price of pao from Rs 3 to Rs 5. We have to look at it from the common man’s point of view. If this is done, then there would be 80 per cent profit, which none of the businesses fetch,” said Menezes, adding that the wholesale price of pao will be Rs 3.
He said the price of 50 gram pao will now be Rs 4 from August 1.
“We saw the reaction when it was announced by few bakers and confectioners that pao would be priced at Rs 5. There cannot be 30 gram pao, as few bakers claim. If it has to be so, it would only be the butter-biscuit. It is not possible,” he said.
He said that they had met the former chief minister Manohar Parrikar, and the present Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, but there has been no positive response from them.
“Chief Minister Parsekar told us that they do not have the funds to provide subsidy (support price) to the bakers,” he added.
Vice president of the All Goa Association of the Bakers Conceicao D’Costa said that they are the traditional bakers.
D’Costa said that they are concerned about the pao eaters, and hence it was suggested to increase the cost by just 1 rupee.
“Increase by one rupee can help us recover the expenditure. It is feasible now. If need be we can think of it later,” confessed Menezes and D’Costa, unlike Peter Fernandes, president of the All Goa Bakers and Confectioners Association, who had said that the hike in the cost of pao to Rs 5 is essential to recover the expenses incurred in preparing it.
These traditional bakers also urged the bakers who have let the bakeries on rent to the migrants, to maintain uniform rates.
“We also urge them not to sell pao for a lesser price. There were complaints from a section of bakers that migrants who run the bakeries sell pao at a lesser price,” they said.
A couple of bakers, however, expressed their ire against the association for not resolving their certain issues.
