Sky-rocketing prices of essentials add to worries of common man in Covid times
Hyderabad: In times of the serious Covid-19 crisis, soaring prices of essential items are adding to the woes of the people. While fuel prices keep going up, there has been a significant rise in the price of edible oil.
Edible oil prices more than doubled in a year’s time. The prices of grains and pulses are also going up. A 15-litre tin of sunflower oil was available at between Rs 1,300 and Rs 1,400 last year. Now, it is priced at Rs 2,900.
Likewise, the prices of broiler chicken and eggs have also been hiked in a month’s time. The farm price of the broiler was Rs 95 per kg a month ago and now it is Rs 170. In a month, prices for 100 eggs rose from Rs 350 to Rs 495.
Abdur Rahman Suhail of Farhat Foods at Mir Alam Mandi said the prices of different essential items have been going up since the lockdown came into effect in different states. There is an average hike of Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,300 per quintal of wheat, Rs 1,000 hike for pulses, Rs 700 hike for Sona Masuri rice and a rise of Rs 600 for onion prices in the wholesale market, compared to what they were a year ago.
Taking advantage of an extreme hike in edible oils, a few millers are mixing cottonseed oil, palm oil or soybean oils in sunflower oil to make more money.
A Facebook user has posted two pictures of a five-litre ‘Sunflower oil’ can, highlighting the prices. One quoted a price of Rs 599 in May 2020 and the other showed a price of Rs 1,082 now. “We all hate palm oil, but Modi is forcing all restaurants to use it even though palm oil price has also doubled. Still, it's the cheapest that restaurants can afford to use.”
Khaleda Begum of Nampally says mutton stalls are also looting people “with both their hands”, by selling the meat at Rs 750-Rs 800 per kg. There is also a hike in the prices of vegetables. “Within four hours we have to purchase everything. We have to buy items at their rates. Yes, vegetable vendors are facing difficulties due to the lockdown, but why have the companies hiked the prices of different essential items,” she asked.
