Jamshedpur: Prices of groceries have risen across Jamshedpur over the past 10-12 days as festive demand rose ahead of Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath, squeezing household budgets.Red chilli posted the steepest rise, climbing from Rs 220 in mid Sept to Rs 260 per kg. Rice became costlier by up to Rs 3 per kg, depending on brand and quality, and now sells between Rs 40 and Rs 72 as against Rs 37 to Rs 69 earlier.Pulses rose by Rs 7-12 per kg. Arhar dal is selling at Rs 140-142 per kg, moong dal at Rs 120, chana dal at Rs 86 and masoor dal at Rs 75-80. Urad dal costs Rs 115-130 per kg.Mustard oil increased by about Rs 2 to Rs 185-188 per kg from Rs 183-185. Refined oil moved to Rs 135-140 from Rs 133-138, while flour rose to Rs 36-38 from Rs 34-36 per kg.Retailers said gram flour had risen from Rs 60 to Rs 70 per kg. Whole coriander seeds now cost Rs 160-220, depending on quality, against Rs 145-205 earlier. Cashew prices climbed from Rs 900 to Rs 1,000 per kg, while raisins rose from Rs 450 to Rs 500. Peanut prices stayed unchanged at Rs 200, while sugar brought relief by falling from Rs 65 to Rs 60 per kg.The increases were reported in Sakchi, Jugsalai, Bistupur and Mango.“Prices of several food items have been affected by increased demand, weather changes, and the ongoing war,” said Satyanarayan Agarwal, president of the Jamshedpur Foodgrain Wholesale Traders’ Association.Attributing the increase in cost of rice, flour, and essential items to heavy rain and flood-like conditions, Bistupur retailer Mohan Agarwal said, “Prices rose over the past 10 days and could increase further.”Homemaker Paramjeet Kaur said, “Rising essential commodity prices disrupted household budgets during the festive season and called for steps to control them.”A private sector employee, D Sumeet Rao, said, “Higher monthly grocery bills made balancing daily needs and festive expenses difficult.”Raju Rao, owner of a South Indian food cart in Bistupur said, “At present, a plate of idli costs Rs 40, but the price could go up to nearly Rs 50, while price of dosa could increase by Rs 10 if the prices of essential grocery items continue to rise.”Pappu Singh, a hotel owner on Kalimati Road in Sakchi, stated that hotel owners were already struggling due to rising prices of cooking gas, while the sudden hike in prices of essential grocery items had added further pressure on the sector.
