Steep increase in prices of essential commodities

- Customers appeal to the government to intervene and bring down the prices immediately
- Request government to sell essential commodities through Rythu Bazaars at reasonable prices to reduce additional burden on them

Amaravati: Prices of essential commodities are on the rise due to increased demand, short supply and crop failure. The price hike imposed additional financial burden on the poor and middle class people and forcing them to spend more for essential commodities.

Hoarding of essential commodities by the traders is another reason for increase in prices. Red chilli price touched Rs 160 a kg. Tamarind is being sold at Rs 160 a kg, red gram-Rs 150 a kg, polished black gram-Rs 170 a kg, groundnut oil-Rs 130 a kg, sunflower oil-Rs 85 a kg, palmolein Rs 65 a kg, Kurnool Sona Masuri rice Rs 50 a kg, BPT variety (old rice) Rs 48 a kg and sugar Rs 42 a kg. Red chillies, red gram and tamarind prices almost doubled within a year.

The government is selling red gram at Rs 123 a kg and polished black gram at Rs 163 a kg in Rythu Bazars. But consumers alleged that inferior quality of red gram and polished black gram are being sold in the Rythu Bazars. Indian Chamber of Commerce of Industry Guntur district president Atukuri Anjaneyulu said, “When the pulses crops failed, the Central government should have imported red gram, black gram, green gram and dump the stocks into market to check the price rise.”

A Sai Krishna, a consumer said, “Due to increase in prices of essential commodities and vegetables, I have to spend Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 per month. I request the government to sell groundnut oil, tamarind and red chillies through Rythu Bazaars at reasonable prices to reduce additional burden on poor and middle class people.”

V L Syamsundar