Highs and lows

 Ever since the pandemic outbreak, the woes of the common man have been multiplying everyday as fuel and cooking gas prices reach new heights with each passing day. These have only had a domino effect on prices of essential commodities which are going up without any regulation, making daily life more expensive like never before. When  the Centre hiked fuel prices for the sixth consecutive day on Wednesday, it pushed up fuel prices to a new record high after which, petrol became costlier by 30 paisa and diesel costlier by 35 paisa. This was the 17th increase in the price of petrol and the 20th in diesel rates since a three-week long hiatus in revising the prices ended in the last week of September, according to PTI. Since then, the cost of diesel has gone up by Rs 6.50 per litre and petrol price has increased by Rs 5. According to market experts, the prices of essential commodities have shot up 40% to 100% in the past year owing to the repeated fuel price hikes. Amid the pandemic and the lockdowns, many families are struggling to make both ends meet. Experts say the cost of living has increased 3.17 times in a span of 20 years. The purchasing power of the common man has come down as essential commodity prices skyrocket. The bread earner for a family of four will require more than thrice the salary earned in 2001 to live somewhat comfortably. The rise in prices of essential commodities impacts every household but the poorest sections are the worst affected. The diesel and petrol prices crossed Rs 100 and Rs 106, respectively, in most states and these are being reflected on the prices of essential commodities. In Dimapur, prices of vegetables and food items have risen sharply due to the pandemic as well as extraneous factors. Vegetables that used to cost Rs.20 per kg in the pre-pandemic period, is today being sold for Rs.80 per kg. Prices of vegetables, especially onion and tomato, are rising in every urban areas in India, on the back of higher fuel prices and damage to summer crops due to heavy rains. The government has built a record reserve of 2, 00,000 tonnes of onions to deal with potential spikes in prices during the current lean season. Onion prices tend to rise during September because it marks the beginning of a nearly three-month lean season, when stocks from previous crops deplete, past data show. Prices of some food items, where seasonality plays a big role, tend to be volatile. For a predominant non-vegetarian population,consumption of animal and poultry products in the state has been increasing over the years with the annual imports being to the tune of around Rs.1219.70 crore. Out of this, the state internally produces 43.35% of the requirement and leaving a shortfall of 56.65%. In terms of imports, the state imported meat worth Rs 121.56 crore by importing 7.279 tonne but the total shortage of meat in the state stood at 34.66 tonne. The economic woes of the overwhelming number of people is precarious. They find their monthly kitchen bills soaring and their incomes plummeting due to regular increase in prices of fuel. The government has to take a decisive step to check price rise or if it cannot, then it should bring drastic cuts on VAT on fuel.