Consumers of Indore’s world-famous namkeen are feeling the pinch in their pockets, as their favourite ‘sev’ and ‘gathiya’ have become costlier by Rs 10 to Rs 20 per kg due to a surge in the prices of fuel and packaging materials amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.Indore is a leading namkeen production hub in the country, with approximately 1,500 small and large manufacturing units in the city that generate domestic and export revenues worth hundreds of crores of rupees annually.Speaking to PTI on Friday, Anurag Bothra, secretary of the city Namkeen-Mishthanhan Kreta Evam Vikreta Kalyan Sangh (Namkeen-Sweet Buyers and Sellers Welfare Association), said, “The conflict in West Asia has made commercial cooking gas and plastic packaging materials more expensive.”The price of bags used for packing the spicy, crunchy delicacies, previously available for Rs 190 per kg, has risen to Rs 300 per kg, he said, adding that the cost of reusable plastic containers has also doubled.”Apart from this, the price of edible oil used to prepare the fried snacks has increased. Hence, the retail price of namkeen has increased by Rs 10 to Rs 20 per kg,” Bothra said.He noted that fuel problems have had a greater impact on production at manufacturing units that depend entirely on commercial cooking gas.Industry experts warned that the price of the iconic snack could see further escalations in the coming months if global crude oil and gas markets do not stabilise.