MARGAO: A rift between the Goan bakers with regards to the pao price hike has now resulted in loss from both the end—traditional bakers and by and large the pao consumers are at the losing side. Shockingly, with no control on the price of pao from the concerned authority has led to all-profit in the pocket of the hoteliers, and ros-omelette gadda owners.
Herald investigation revealed that the traditional bakers are at a loss, despite a hike in price, as the pao is sold at much higher price in the hotels and at the gaddas. At the end the customers are feeling the pinch.
Speaking to Herald several bakery owners admitted that they make very less profit by selling pao at wholesale price to the hoteliers and the gadda owners. According to them, the civil supply department of the government of Goa needs to have a mechanism to control the price. No one can question the hoteliers or the ros-omelette gadda owners for selling the pao at the higher prices, as there is no system in place to control the price.
It has been revealed that after a hike of pao at retail price to Rupee 1, the pao is sold at Rs 4 to the hoteliers and ros-omelette gaddas at the wholesale rate. Earlier the wholesale rate was Rs 3.20 paise when the pao was sold at Rs 4. The maximum quantity of the pao is sold to these hoteliers and gaddas as compared to the counter-sale.
Herald even managed to visit hotels and gaddas and it was witnessed that many of them were selling the pao at a price more than Rs 5, even at Rs 10 by some hoteliers in Panjim, Margao and other towns of Goa.
Agapito Menezes, president of All Goa Associations of Bakers literally admitted that they are at the losing side by selling the pao at wholesale price of Rs 4 (after hike in price).
“Earlier, pao was sold at Rs 3.20 or some by Rs 3 at wholesale rate. At the moment we have fixed the rate of the wholesale pao to Rs 4. Still, there is no profit”, he stated.
He further informed that several hoteliers and owners of the ros-omelette are selling this Goan pao at the rate of Rs 6 to Rs 10, despite buying it at very less price from bakers at the wholesale rate.
“The internal problems between the bakers are one of the reasons for this mess. No control on the price of pao by the concerned authority has further added the burden of loss, as a result nobody can question the hoteliers or the owners of the ros-omelette gadda for selling it at a much higher rate,” he stated.
According to Agapito this can be controlled and the department of civil supply needs to find out a mechanism towards the issue.
Peter Fernandes, president of All Goa Bakers and Confectioners Associations, also admitted that bakers and customers are at the losing end, as the pao is sold at higher rates in the hotels.
“We cannot deny that the maximum quantity of the pao is sold to hoteliers and thereafter to the owners of ros-omelette gaddas by the bakers. The counter sale of pao is much lesser as compared to the hoteliers but still no profit for the bakers,” he stated.
Peter said that in order to have profit in wake of the prevailing situations and no support from the government side, pao needs to be sold at minimum Rs 7.
“But at the moment what has been noticed is that pao is being sold at Rs 4 at the wholesale price, and many hoteliers are selling it at Rs. 8. That means we are at the losing side, despite the hike in price. Profit is in the pockets of hoteliers and gadda owners,” said Peter.
