Price hike: cup of woes of common man reaches its brim

New Delhi, Jun 18 (UNI) The cup of woes of the common man across the country seems to have reached its brim, what with rising prices of fruits, vegetables and other essential commodities leaving a deep hole in his pocket, forcing him to reframe his already backbending budget.

The recent hike in the prices of petrol and diesel have sent prices of almost every essential item skyrocketting, reports received here from different states indicated.

The price hike has dealt the heaviest blow to the people in Kerala. However, no significant change has so far been noticed in the price line in West Bengal and Manipur.

In some of the states, retailers and vendors have overtaken the role of wholesalers in fixing the prices of fresh fruits and vegetables in the retail markets, making it hard for the people to make a balance between their income and expenditure.

In Punjab, a kiryana store owner Sanjay Kumar in Mohali said the prices of items like soaps, washing powder, edible oils and toiletries have risen by five per cent due to the fuel price hike.

''It is not only the hike in the prices of petrol or diesel alone, as the prices of essential items, including flour, have gone up in the last six months due to various reasons, including the value added tax,'' he said.

Besides, the number of people using personal vehicles and not relying on the public transport remains the same in cities like Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar and Chandigarh.

''We have to continue driving our own vehicles as there is no adequate public transport in Chandigarh,'' said a lady school teacher, who pointed out that the public transport was not feasible for her commuting.

Renowned educationist of the College of Education in Patiala, Mr Kuldeep Singh, lamented that the corporate sector had begun making profits from the essential commodities like petrol and diesel which were once regulated by the state in the interest of the masses.

In Madhya Pradesh, vegetables and fruits have become dearer with tomato selling at Rs 30 per kilo as compared to only Rs 10 a fortnight ago in Bhopal. Most vegetables are being sold at rates 50 to 100 per cent higher than the pre-petrol price hike level.

With local crop already over, tomato is being imported from Karnataka resulting in sharp rise in its price due to increased transportation cost, said vegetable vendor Murali. Value Added Tax also contributed to the hike, he added.

While foodgrains have become dearer by Re 1 per kg, pulses maintained their upward trend with moong (polished) touching Rs 59 per kg in the Cooperative Federation's 'Aapoorti Store'.

In the national capital, according to Mr Rajender Kumar Sharma, president of the Potato and Onion Merchants Association at Azadpur Mandi, the real rise in prices will be seen five years from now when fresh fruits and vegetables would all be sold at monopolistic prices through malls in packs of different quantities and qualities as the big bulls would indulge in contract farming and lift the whole produce directly from the fields.

As of now, in Delhi, the average price of fruits and vegetables has gone up by 40 to 70 per cent in the retail markets compared to much lower prices prevailing in the wholesale markets like Azadpur Mandi.

Some of the green vegetables like brinjals, lady fingers, green peas and tomatoes have almost vanished from the platter of the common man as these are bought scarcely because of the high price-tag.

Whenever asked about high prices, the vendor or retailer has a pet reply, ''Saab petrol mehanga ho gaya hai, transport ka kharcha barh gaya hai, keemat to barhegi hi(As the petrol price has risen and transportation has become costlier, the prices are bound to rise).'' However, as for the price rise in cereals and pulses, trade sources say it is due to future trading in these items. Several members of future trading exchange indulge in hoarding to release the stocks when there is shortage and sell at the price of their choice at an opportune time.

''This is all due to speculative trading,'' they say.

More UNI Team PK AT BD1117