Life for the aam aadmi is becoming increasingly difficult because of all-round price rise across the country, biting into the real incomes of the people.
Essential commodities are getting out of the reach of the poor and the middle class. The rate of inflation is at 7% per cent (week ended March 22), the highest in the last 13 months.
The situation has worsened by rounds of price hikes of petroleum products, which has had a cascading impact on the prices of several commodities.
While economists think slow growth in farm output and rising demand are fuelling the prices, food consumption by fast-growing China and bio-fuel demand are also pushing up prices, says the Reserve Bank of India.
While the central government says it has taken various measures to try to boost food supply in the longer term, there seems to be no short-term fix to bring prices down.
To get insights into this burning issue of the moment, read on. . .
Text: Indrani Roy Mitra
Image: Kallo Kaur, a labourer, uses a sieve to separate wheat husks from the grain at a market in Amritsar. | Photograph: Narinder Nanu/AFP/Getty Images
Also read: What you must know about inflation
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