MARGAO: Goencho paav will officially be costly by Re 1 from August 1.
This was decided by the All Goa Association of Bakers (AGAB) after deliberating on the issue for hours, at Margao, on Saturday.
Paav which is presently retailed at Rs 3 will now be available at Rs 4 throughout Goa. After announcing the price rise on Saturday, the AGAB hinted another raise in the future if there is any difference in the budgeting.
The meeting was chaired by AGAB President Agapito Menezes.
He said, “From August 1, the paav will be Rs 4 and there will be no bar on weight. The present paav made by traditional bakers is 60 to 65 grams and there is freedom to competent bakers to better the quality and make 40 gms paav also.”
Denying that bakers provided subsidy by the government, Agapito said, “We had had at least 20 meetings with the former chief minister Manohar Parrikar on the subject of subsidy. And later, when we met Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, he said that he doesn’t have any finance to provide subsidy to the bakers.”
After being denied subsidy, the AGAB was left with no option other than raising the prices, he said.
On pricing paav according to seize/weight, Agapito said that such practice would put the small time bakers out of business within a month. “Confectioners will benefit by this, as he makes not more than 50 paav per day for counter sale,” Agapito added.
