Idol makers in Maharashtra bear the brunt of price rise

Mumbai, June 29 : With only two months left for the Ganesha Chaturthy festival idol makers in Maharashtra are a worried lot due to increased cost of raw materials, labour and transportation.

Due to price rise, the idol makers are forced to buy raw materials at an increased cost. Now they also have to pay the labourers more for the same work.

According to the idol makers they do not have any option but to increase the price of idols to ensure a decent earning for themselves.

"When prices increase, any businessman compensates the increased manufacturing costs by increasing the price of the products. So the rate at which there has been a price rise we will increase the price of the products accordingly," said Vijay R. Khatu, an idol maker.

The idol makers are also worried as they anticipate that the customers might show reluctance in paying extra as compared to previous years for the same product.

While for many the Ganesha Chaturthy festival is a celebration time, for hundreds of skilled and unskilled labourers it is an employment opportunity.

A large number of idol makers who are into the profession have been following it as a family tradition.

In Mumbai, over 20,000 artisans get jobs before the annual festival each year.

India's annual inflation rate has risen further to 11.42 per cent in mid-June tumbling share markets.

Inflation shot above 11 per cent in early June to a 13-year high following a rise in state-set fuel prices and rattling markets, prompting the Finance Minister to warn of stronger anti-inflation measures ahead.

ANI