HYDERABAD: The rise in fuel prices has already begun having a cascading effect on several sectors, which will ultimately impact the citizens. On Saturday, the citizens suffered another blow with the price of petrol in Hyderabad shooting up to Rs 94.18/litre and diesel to Rs 88.31.
As a result, vegetable prices in the city have already started skyrocketing and the next in line to be hit are the poultry and fisheries sectors. Meanwhile, citizens are also worried that they will have to pay more for availing public transport.
Stating that the unrestricted rise in petrol and diesel prices, in just the last month, is soon going to have an impact on the daily life of common people, chairperson of Bowenpally Market TN Sreedhar Srinivas said: “The transport prices are increasing very gradually. This, in the long run, will put burden on the common citizens. Annually, for a few months, Telangana has to depend on the arrival of kitchen essentials, including onion, tomatoes and potatoes, from neighbouring State such as Maharashtra and Karnataka. As the fuel prices are increasing, it will also lead to a spike in transportation charges, resulting in a hike in prices of vegetables and other food grains.”
The soaring prices will not be limited to just vegetables, but soon might also jolt the poultry and fisheries sectors.
“First in line to get hit will be poultry farmers, who will have to bear the burden of rise in the prices of feed (soya and maize) and also the transportation cost. The farmers cannot increase the prices of their supply, due to scare of dip in demand and hence, will end up suffering the most. They just recovered from the Covid pandemic, due to rumors associated with the virus. And now, the hike in fuel prices will largely have an impact on them,” said Breeders’ Association head Dr Ranjeet Reddy.
Meanwhile, resenting the spike in fuel prices, the Telangana Lorry Association has decided to stage a protest on February 26.
Working president of the Association Rajendra Reddy said: “We are helpless. Neither can we increase the transportation fare completely, as it will have a huge impact on the market, nor can we bear the brunt of the hike, as it will affect our livelihood. On February 26, we, along with other associations, will stage a protest against the Centre over fuel price hike.”
Meanwhile, commuters in the city are also a worried lot.
Angry over the price hike, a person named Rohit, hailing from Gachibowli and works in hospitality sector, said that considering the rate at which the fuel prices are going up, people may have to soon switch over to bicycles or bullock carts to travel.
Rs 94.18/ltr was the price of petrol Hyderabad recorded on Saturday, whereas, the price of diesel shot up to Rs 88.31 on the same day.