KOCHI: How many things will you exclude from your weekly shopping list so your budget for the month doesn’t shoot up? Even if you could let go of a thing or two, could you live without vegetables, cooking oil and gas?
Ambika (name changed), 40, has been struggling to manage her household owing to the pandemic outbreak and subsequent lockdowns. Her family, living in the coastal area, couldn’t earn much from fishing alone. “Now, the rising prices of vegetables and other groceries are making everything worse. Though we have a two-wheeler, we stopped using it due to unaffordable petrol prices. Now, I travel to work using public transport,” she says.
Kerala being a consumer state, the recent hike in fuel prices has affected the flow of food items from nearby states, creating a cascading effect. At the Ernakulam market, the prices of the essential vegetables like tomato, beans and carrot increased by more than Rs 20 in the last week.
Autorickshaw drivers in peril
“We have been struggling to convince passengers that we are increasing rates because of the fuel prices. The rate of engine oil and other necessary automobile parts is also on the rise. When the government fixed our minimum fare at Rs 25, the diesel price was just Rs 55. Now, its over Rs 100.
Most of our trips these days are ending up in altercations with passengers,” said Shaji K K, an autorickshaw driver plying from High Court Junction in Kochi. “There is no way to save anything. If we face a medical emergency, it will be impossible to handle as we are spending all our earnings on food," says Biju, a cab driver based in Kochi.
Shooting price of daily items
OCT 21 APR 2021
Petrol Rs 106.81/litre Rs 92.26/litre
Diesel Rs 100.55/litre Rs 86.74/litre
CNG Rs 63.40/kg Rs 50.12/litre
LPG (14.2Kg) Rs 902 Rs 811.24
LPG (5Kg) Rs 485 Rs 300.74
LPG (Commercial) Rs 1,730/19kg Rs 1,620.31