Want to earn a few bucks in Lahore, set up a tandoor!

Lahore, Nov 5 : Setting up tandoors on roadsides is a lucrative business in Lahore these days, especially after the launch of the "Sasti Roti" scheme by the Punjab government. Under the scheme, those running tandoors or road-side dhabas would get a 20-kg bag of flour at Rs 250.

After the launch of the scheme, the number of registered tandoors and hotels in Lahore has reached almost 3300, against around 1450 till one and-a-half months back.

People, especially of lower income localities, are opening up their own tandoors as they consider it a good source of earning money, reported the Daily Times.

However, the district government has no proper mechanism to ensure that no pilferage occurs, it added.

An official of the district government said that the government was providing a 20-kg flour bag to tandoors for Rs 170 less than the rate available in the open market. He said that this has gotten several people, particularly from Ravi Town, to approach government offices, claiming that they were not being supplied flour.

He said that the total tandoors had also increased in poor localities, adding that the amount of flour bags being provided to tandoors was increasing daily. He said that about 25,000 bags of flour are provided to tandoors daily.

He said that the total rotis available should be 6.5 million, however, it was nothing near that amount.

The official said that it was impossible that the tandoor owners were not hoarding the flour being provided to them, adding that the government has not established a foolproof system to ensure this does not occur. He said that district officers (DOs) and town municipal officers (TMOs) make surprise visits to these tandoors.

He said that it was still impossible to ensure that each bag was being utilised properly, and not being sold to customers or shopkeepers to earn a profit.

District officials confirmed that over 3200 tandoors had been registered and that over 24,000 flour bags were being supplied to them daily.

ANI