As if the pandemic-induced pay cuts and job losses weren’t enough, people now have to deal with soaring prices of essential products.
Digging into one’s savings has become increasingly common 1.27 crore people in India withdrew from their provident fund accounts in 2020, compared to 54.42 lakh people in 2019, as per official data.
As unsecured loans have become elusive, the number of loans sanctioned against gold shot up by a whopping 82 per cent since March 2020, according to RBI data.
Groceries, fuel and industrial commodities have become considerably more expensive of late.
While the average cost of petrol in Chennai was Rs 73 in May last year, it fluctuated between Rs 89 and Rs 95 this year.
The average retail prices of items such as oil, tea, pulses and onions too have spiked. Here’s what people from across Tamil Nadu have to say about the situation they find themselves in
Vinoth Gunasekaran, private-firm employee
Inflation has severely affected my family. The cost of almost every essential commodity, be it cooking oil, milk, vegetables or rice, has increased, and I can feel the pinch.
Last year, the monthly expenses for our family of four were Rs 15,000-18,000. But this year they have reached Rs 25,000 though we followed all cost-cutting measures.
We are not going out or ordering food from restaurants, and are only buying the necessities.
There has been no rise in income due to the pandemic, but our expenses are rising. It has become difficult to balance my income and expenses
V Sushmita, entrepreneur
There has been a significant dip in our savings due to stagnating income. Besides, interest rates on fixed deposits have been slashed, affecting our savings.
But the prime concern is our household expenses, which have increased by at least 50 per cent this year.
With the prices of essential commodities hitting the roof, it has become difficult to save money to meet exigencies during the pandemic.
Apart from the rising cost of food items, the hike in fuel prices has hit us hard. With working from home becoming the new normal, our electricity bill has almost tripled
Dinesh Sabanaikam, business strategist
The pandemic has affected us and stalled our growth in ways we never imagined. I was doing well at work and being appreciated, but then the pandemic struck and my salary was cut by 30 percent.
It was difficult both financially and mentally since I am the breadwinner of our family of three. Making matters worse, the prices of groceries and fuel kept soaring.
We used to spend Rs 2,500- 3,000 on vegetables per month, but now have to spend more than double. Besides this, we need to keep buying N95 masks and sanitiser.
Neither our office managements nor the vegetable sellers can be blamed; but if the pandemic gets any worse or continues for longer, most office-goes will be jobless next year.
R Ponnarasi, resident of Vellore
The pandemic had already disrupted people’s livelihoods and day-to-day activities, and the rise in cost of fuel and other essentials has made life more difficult.
Private firm employees had their salaries reduced, and have less money to spend now.
We were advised to eat nutritious food to boost our immunity, but had to limit our expenses.
For daily-wage labourers, the situation is grim, as they have no income.
Though the government is working to address various issues, it should also ensure people are not affected by the price hike
R Pradeep Singh, civil engineer
We were once a financially stable and happy family. But in the last one-and-a-half years, things turned topsy turvy. I now have to count every paisa I spend, even on essentials.
I lost my job due to the lockdown last year, and we have to survive and provide for our three-year-old daughter with my wife’s nominal salary.
Because the prices of regular commodities and groceries were increased by at least 20 per cent, we had to take loans, even to buy basic necessities.
Even buying fruits for the family is difficult. It is extremely depressing to go through this, and we hope things will change in the near future
Jai Sundar, social activist
Fuel and LPG prices have skyrocketed, and the Central government is doing nothing to reduce them. Both petrol and diesel prices are at an all-time high.
And these rising prices are the root cause of the price hike of other essential commodities in our country. It is making a huge dent in our wallets.
The Union government must reduce the tax on fuel as soon as possible
Prices of everyday items, like pulses, have increased exponentially between March 2020 and March 2021. Medicines have become so expensive that we are unable to purchase them.
Inflation has affected everyone.
The prices of petrol and diesel show no signs of coming down. A government is supposed to make policies that benefit the common person. I feel that fuel should be brought under the ambit of GST
N Muthunilavan, writer
Syed Mohamed Kalifa Sahib, resident of Nagore
Many Nagore residents are used to eating nonvegetarian food three to five days a week. Nowadays, a few traders deliver seafood from cold storage at our doorsteps. But, they have increased prices by around 50 per cent.
As for chicken and mutton, prices have been increased by about 10 per cent As for vegetables, prices have gone up by as much as 25 per cent in Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai districts.
Vegetable supply to these two tail-end districts comes via Kumbakonam in the Thanjavur district, which imports them from western districts of the State.
Vegetable sellers cite the increase in cost of transport as the reason for hiking the prices of these commodities
Fibreglass-boat fisherfolk have not gone into the sea in the past month because of Covid-19 concerns, and mechanised-boat fisherfolk are restricted by the lockdown, causing the sale of seafood to dry up. But, the rising fuel prices have not escaped their attention.
Many are concerned as they will have to shell out a lot more to resume fishing after the lockdown. Meanwhile, demand for carps like rohu, catla, and mrigal has gone up.
Geeta, teacher
Many have lost their jobs owing to the pandemic-induced lockdown. Increased prices of essentials add to the burden on them in these trying times.
During the lockdown, prices of vegetables, fruits, and groceries have doubled, making it very difficult for people with a low income to survive.
People have started rationing their purchases, and avoid buying items that have now become expensive. The government must intervene and ensure that people don’t suffer like this
Jai Fernandez , resident of Puducherry
I am unable to increase my service charges to match the inflation. If I increase it, I might lose my customers to my competition.
Moreover, owing to the pandemic, people call us (for repair of computer systems), only when it is urgent.
So, there is less work. Some clients seek assistance through remote access. In such cases, the payment is nominal. It is a hand-tomouth existence. My wife, a BCom graduate, wants to help the family financially, but she is unable to get a job
Jai is a 44-year-old self-employed computer-service engineer who attends to faults in computer systems.
He runs a family of four he, wife, and their two children aged nine and seven. Due to inflation, his expenses to meet basic needs have nearly doubled.
“I used run my family with Rs 10,000. Now, I need to spend Rs 17,000 (excluding educational expenses of the two children) while my earnings remain the same. To make matters worse, I could earlier fill my vehicle’s petrol tank for Rs 270 to visit clients; it now costs me Rs 400,” he says.
CM Jayaraman, President of Citizens’ Voice
Edible oil prices increased by 10 per cent during the lockdown. There is a lobby attempting to enforce palmolein use by artificially jacking up sunflower-oil prices as large corporate companies are involved in the sale of palmolein.
Traders in retail business exacting a high profit margin is the main reason for the increase in edible-oil prices during the pandemic.
Once they raise the prices of essential goods, they will not come down.
Not only edible-oil prices, but also prices of grocery and vegetables have increased by multiple times. This is severely affecting the budgets of the middle-class
M Senthil Kumar, civil contractor
Earlier, a kg of tomato cost Rs 10-12. Now, it is Rs 20-22. Not just tomatoes, most vegetables are sold at double the price.
As a result, a middle-class family, which used to buy vegetables for Rs 150, now has to pay around Rs 250. It is sad that prices of almost all fruits have doubled (Sathukudi - Rs 150 a kg and pomegranate Rs 280 a kg).
Vegetable sellers are making a huge profit amid the pandemic. Items such as yellow lentils cost Rs 120 a kg now
V Banupriya, resident of Salem
Before the lockdown, we could buy six-seven varieties of vegetables for Rs 200. Now, however, rates have doubled.
One kg of tomato is being sold for Rs 25-40 based on quality. A kg of big onion is now sold for Rs 35 while small onion is sold for Rs 60-70 a kg.
The price of spinach has also doubled. Before the lockdown, a bunch of spinach was sold for Rs 5-7. Now, it costs Rs 12-15.
So, for Rs 200, we are able to buy a maximum of five varieties of vegetables. The government should fix prices of vegetables and also try to sell them through ration shops till the lockdown ends
Senthilkumar, member, Tamilar Marabu Sandhai
During the lockdown, supply and demand of millet in Dharmapuri witnessed a spike. Increase in
transportation charges, storage fee, and even grinding charges has, however, led to a price hike by Rs 7-10 a kg.
“We procure saamai (little millets) for Rs 82 a kg and sell it for Rs 90 a kg. In January, saamai cost only about Rs 75 a kg. The price of kudiraivali (horsetail) millet was Rs 75 a kg, but is Rs 80 a kg now. Varagu was Rs 76 a kg; now, it’s Rs 83. This doesn’t include transport charges, which are on the rise because of the hike in fuel cost."
K Selvi, resident of Y. Ot hakadai in Madurai
A healthy diet is recommended by medical experts to boost immunity and prevent Covid. But, vegetables and fruits are now being sold at a rate thrice or four times their usual price during this lockdown.
Consequently, a family is forced to cut back on its purchases of essential commodities, despite the fact that the lockdown leads to an increased consumption of provisions. Providing nutritious meals to children has now become a challenge.
Those who worked in faraway places are severely affected as they no longer have an income.
Taking advantage of the lockdown, during which the public cannot choose where to buy commodities at low rates, vendors sell provisions at escalated prices.
Worse is the plight of workers who do not have ration cards to receive the Covid relief assistance and buy essentials.
