The price rise is making the daily life of the common man of the country miserable. According to official statistics, the price of food items increased by 10.9 per cent. Vegetable prices alone have gone up by 42 per cent. This is the first time in the last 57 months that prices have gone up at such a large scale. The RBI is considering reducing interest rates in the wake of inflation rising to 6.2 per cent.
It is a fact that percentage figures do not reflect the actual price. There may not be a match between the actual price and the price as per the government index. The experience is that price rise is increasing in villages and towns alike.
While most sectors, including foodgrain production, are not showing any decline or deterioration, there is widespread concern over rising prices. The phenomenon of prices rising in general before the festive season has been common in the past as well. It's still beginning to happen. The prices of fruits, vegetables, meat and fish are increasing day by day. The prices of onion and shallots have gone up to a height that cannot be controlled. In September, vegetable prices increased by 36 per cent, while in October, prices rose by 42 per cent. The price of edible oil is also increasing. Effective government interventions are essential to save the common people from the clutches of the price rise. This is possible only through market interventions.
While the country has set a record in food grain production, poverty and hunger are still a sad reality. Even after food was declared a right, there are still a lot of people in the country who are not covered by the ration system. It is the semi-starved who are apparently harmed by the increasing presence and monopoly of the bigwigs in the food production sector. The constant exploitation of farmers is still not ending. The country has witnessed the systematic subversion by organised lobbies of the farm reform laws brought in by the central government with good intentions. The agriculture sector is still dominated by middlemen and contractors. No matter how abundant the harvest is, it is these people who determine the price in the market. In addition to these adverse factors, the agricultural decline due to climate change is also occurring. Such situations aren't happening just here. Many countries that are rich in agricultural prosperity are also facing it.
The pilgrimage season has arrived in Kerala. It is customary to see an increase in the prices of daily-use items, including vegetables, during this time. Government agencies such as Supplyco are the ones that help the people on such occasions. However, Supplyco's operations have been weakening over the past few days. They were carried out with a lot of effort during the last Onam season. It became weak again after Onam. At present, only rice prices have not increased in the market. Many necessities have to be discarded as the prices of all the vegetables have gone up. With unemployment on the rise and the price rise, the common man is in a big crisis. The state government is not able to take up price control measures vigorously as it is embroiled in a major financial crisis.