Patna residents concerned over price rise of essentials commodities

Patna, Dec 14 (ANI): Residents in Patna have expressed concern about the rise in price of essential commodities.

Prices of vegetables and other essential items like sugar, ghee (clarified butter), rice and pulses have been experiencing a sharp rise.

"The sales have gone down due to the price rise. The prices of the commodities are rising day-by-day. Earlier we used to sell 5 to 10 Kilograms of a grocery item, but now, we are only able to sell 1/2 a Kilogram. The customers have decreased in numbers and we are suffering huge loses." said Surendra Prasad Gupta, grocery shop owner.

The worst sufferers are homemakers, who are struggle to manage their budgets.

India's annual wholesale price inflation was 1.34 percent in October, but the benign numbers just reflect the high base effect of prices a year ago, and hide the real rise in the prices of food articles. The WPI has already risen to over six percent from the beginning of the 2009-10 financial year that started in April.

Economists have said the inflation could rise to as much as eight percent by the end of the financial year-above the central bank's perceived comfort zone of around five percent. (ANI)