Kalyanpur Consumers Hit Hard by Soaring Food Prices

Agartala: Kalyanpur residents faced a brutal Sunday market as prices for staples and fresh produce hit their wallets. Families are now choosing which basics to buy. Low and middle-income households struggle to keep up as costs climb.

Garlic now costs 200 rupees per kg. Onions hit 60 to 70 rupees per kg. Mustard oil fetches 200 to 215 rupees per litre. Even with winter crops arriving, produce costs remain high. Cauliflower sells for 200 rupees per kg, while ridge gourd sits at 80 rupees per kg. Bitter gourd and brinjal cost 50 rupees per kg each. Pointed gourd costs 40 rupees per kg, while green chillies reach 160 rupees per kg. Radish and sweet pumpkin sell for 20 rupees per bunch or piece.

The sugar shortage adds to the local misery. Residents claim government fair-price shops have not stocked the item since August. The government rate sits at 32 rupees per kg. Without that supply, shoppers pay 70 rupees per kg in the open market. Locals complained, "Consumers also raised concerns over the availability and price of sugar."

Daily wage earners often leave the market with empty hands. Middle-class families try to balance budgets by slashing other household spending. Residents worry about the future. They asked how families with limited incomes can survive if these trends continue.