Shillong: Shillong workers face a brutal reality. Daily wage laborer Riban Kharshiing waits for construction work that often never comes. When he lands a job, he feeds his family of five. When he does not, he comes home empty-handed.
"If there’s no work, there’s no income," he said. "But the expenses don’t stop. We still have to buy rice, vegetables and pay the electricity bill."
Roughly 65 percent of the city's workforce lacks steady, salaried jobs. These residents rely on daily sales and fickle weather to survive. Rain scares away customers for street vendors like Aman Sinha, who earns about 30,000 rupees a month. His income fluctuates wildly based on school holidays and storms.
The city is expensive. Data shows Shillong costs 15 to 20 percent more than Kolkata. Rent for a one-bedroom apartment climbs as high as 20,000 rupees. Essential goods often carry higher price tags because they must be shipped into the state from distant markets.
Local shop owner Zarine Shadap earns 10,000 rupees a month. She manages her household budget by cutting everything but the absolute necessities. Inflation hits her store and her home equally hard. Prices for milk and eggs sit consistently higher in Shillong than in larger hubs like Kolkata.
Mechanic Sabbir Ahmed supports six family members. He watches the prices of fuel, cooking gas, and basic groceries climb higher each month. "If this continues, gas and petrol would become a luxury and only for the rich," he said. For these families, inflation is not a statistic. It is the cost of staying alive.
Comments