Soaring vegetable prices hit household budgets

Chandigarh, June 25 (UNI) Rising prices of vegetables and other food items have emerged as a major concern for housewives as the household budget is shooting up.

First came the increase in the prices of petrol and diesel and now the soaring prices of vegetables have become a subject of debate amongst housewives in every mohalla or street in the agrarian states of Punjab and Haryana. ''Kya banaye (what to cook)'', is the common question being asked by many housewives, who are trying to adjust their budgetary expenditure with the market prices of pulses and vegetables.

Tomatoes in the city are available in the retail market at Rs 40 per kg, and the situation is no better at Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Ambala. At Amritsar, tomatoes are avaliable at Rs five less, that is Rs 35 per kg.

Onions are selling for over Rs 10 to Rs 12 per kg in the region, while consumers are paying Rs 20 and Rs 15 for a kilo of ladyfinger and spinach, respectively. Cauliflower, available at Rs 20 per kg 10 days ago, is now costing Rs 30.

Consumers are shelling Rs 40 for a kg of peas. However, the prices of lemon which had touched Rs 60 per kg are now avaliable at half the price.

The vegetable vendors are blaming the price rise to the weather conditions. However, the rise is also due to the depleted supply and ''unscrupulous'' vendors.

No doubt, there is a scarcity of vegetables due to hot climatic conditions, but vendors are taking advantage of the situation and cheating people. Depleted supply of vegetables from Himachal Pradesh because of the weather conditions is another reason for the prices shooting up particularly of tomatoes, peas and capsicum and even 'pahari' potatoes which are preferred over the potatoes of the plains.

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