The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : No respite from rising prices for poor

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Tuesday, Apr 22, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

No respite from rising prices for poor

S. Harpal Singh

They are made to pay through their nose for every purchase of foodgrain and other essentials

Tough going: Construction labourer Jameela of Ranadivenagar slum in Adilabad town often consumes food cooked without oil. (Right) Phalgir Maruti of Gondipathar village finds it hard to survive because of the rising prices of essential commodities.

ADILABAD: The distribution of subsidised rice has failed to counterbalance the impact of price rise in Adilabad district.

There is no respite either for the rural agrarian society or the urban working class in the district as the gap between income and expenditure is increasing.

Inclusion of food grains in their annual pay package and availability of work throughout the month has not helped the case of either the rural agriculture labourers or the urban toilers.

Both categories are made to pay through their nose for every purchase of food grain and other essentials.

“I earn enough jowar and dal to last me for the whole year. But, the cash I get as remaining part of my annual pay package is hardly sufficient to buy edible oil and other ingredients. At Rs. 80 per kg, we are unable to afford even the 2 kg of cooking oil required for us both,” pointed out Phalgir Narayan of Gondipathar hamlet of Jamgaon gram panchayat of Jainoor mandal.

This village of about 50 houses is predominantly inhabited by members of Scheduled Castes.

The case of 32 old persons in the village like Phalgir Maruti is worse still. Uncared for by their kin, they await old age pension so as to get some relief.

“We have grown old and have neither money nor anything to eat.

The price rise has deterred even the generous who provided our meals,” laments Maruti.

Pana Pathar is a hamlet consisting of 40 houses of Kolam tribesmen in Ashapalli gram panchayat.

The problem here is much the same.

“We are farmers and only 4 kg. of Rs. 2-a-kg rice is not enough to feed one person every month. What about oil, dal, sugar, detergents, soaps. Even salt is dearer now at Rs. 7 per kg. I used to spend about Rs. 1,000 per month on these items. Now I have to spend over Rs. 1,500 and that is if I am being frugal,” said Sidam Laxman.

In the Ranadivenagar slum of Adilabad town Jameela, a middle aged construction labourer and widow is forced to forgo cooked food because of escalating cooking oil price.

“Mirchi-roti se kam chalate ,” she observed.

Vegetables turn dearer

Waghmare Prahlad, a hamal from the same locality who had migrated to this place from Indervelli says for the first time in his life he has shunned vegetables in April.

“Though two of my four children are in a hostel, I cannot afford to eat vegetables. At the going retail rates I need to buy vegetables worth Rs. 30 which is very difficult,” explained Waghmare.

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