Jun 27 2008
Inflation: Families on modest diet!
Food price is hitting high in the last few months due to gradual increase in inflation rate. It is a high time for Indians and the government when people have to now think before eating. Food, the most necessary thing for Human to live, becomes so costly that it is getting far from the hands of common man.
Annual inflation rate for the week ended June 14 raced to a 13-year high of 11.42%. It is the 18th consecutive week that the inflation rate has been above 5.5 per cent, the RBI’s target by the end of the fiscal year in March 2009.
Much-needed commodities are disappearing from the menus of Indian families due to inflation. Choices are shrinking with tightening budget.
Savita, a housewife, wants to feed her family dal (pulses), the staple diet for Indians but with prices of pulses soaring, it’s getting tougher everyday. Dal will soon be a luxury foe common man if the soaring food prices would not stop.
“The Diet Chart sent by their school has asked us to feed dal twice a day to our children. But prices of pulses are now so high that I can’t feed them dal everyday. My big worry is that their health may suffer, as we can’t give them enough pulses,” said Savita.
It’s getting tougher for people, especially salaried employees to reduce their expenses as they have to look to cut corners wherever possible.
One of the employee said, ”My salary remains fixed but prices are soaring. So we are cutting down on all our comforts and are planning how to reduce food expenses. But the cost of every dal is now so high that we have to think many times whether we should buy them.”
Government and RBI have taken several fiscal and monetary steps to cool inflation, but these measures may also have a slowdown effect on economic expansion.
With inflation reaching into double digits, even ordinary food item now seem like costly delicacies. When government is busy in meetings for Nuclear deals, common man is still struggling to make both the ends meet of their life. Nuclear deal is essential to be cared but inflation is the issue which remains in speech only. No careful action by the government is coming on this issue. Opposition parties are claiming that give us the power, after that we will show what we can do. They only keep blaming the central government for inflation. Centre says that N-deal is essential to be signed as it is the matter of Prime Minister’s reputation but what about the matter of common man’s belly?? Who will take care of it? Is it not government’s responsibility to check the inflation so that people can at least have their two time meals properly??
Inflation is the biggest challenge of the hour. Can you suggest some measures which the government should take to combat the crisis??
