PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/DEHRADUN
Rising prices of everyday essentials like sugar and onions are putting pressure on household budgets, with shopkeepers reporting a slump in sales.
Onions are currently being sold at around Rs 55 per kilogramme in Dehradun, up from Rs 35 per kilogramme while sugar is now selling at around Rs 70 per kilogramme, compared with Rs 45 earlier, according to local retailers. Shopkeeper Navsal Ahmad said that prices had been lower last year but have gradually increased in recent months. “Customers are asking for the price and then walking away without buying. Sales have been particularly weak over the past two to three days. People need these items, but they are finding it increasingly difficult to afford them,” he said.
Residents said that the increase was not limited to sugar. Nirmala Devi said that sugar is now selling at around Rs 70 per kilogramme, compared with Rs 45 earlier. She said that onions, which were available for around Rs 35 per kilogramme, are now being sold for Rs 55. “Prices of sugar, cooking oil and other household essentials have gone up within a few months. Every visit to the grocery shop now means spending more than before,” she said.
For middle-class households, the rising cost of essentials is making it harder to balance monthly expenses. Geeta Thapa said that families could not avoid buying basic items despite higher prices. “When there is only one earning member and children to support, even a small increase in the prices of daily-use items affects the monthly budget. The government needs to look at how middle-class families are managing these rising costs,” she said.
Ahmad said that consumers are increasingly comparing prices and buying smaller quantities, adding to concerns over weak demand. With essential commodities continuing to become more expensive, households are being forced to reassess their grocery spending to stay within their monthly budgets.
