Hyderabad: Expressing concern over the rise in prices of rice in the state, BRS party deputy floor leader and ex-minister T Harish Rao demanded the state govt to immediately review on the prices of essential commodities and take measures.
He questioned whether the govt was aware that fine rice prices had increased by nearly 25% within the last four months. The former minister also expressed concern over the steep rise in the prices of other essential commodities, stating that onions had reached ₹70 per kg, garlic ₹240 per kg, groundnut oil ₹210 per litre, green gram dal ₹125 per kg, and toor dal ₹165 per kg.
The ex-minister said the prices of essential goods were placing an unbearable burden on common people while the govt remained indifferent. Farmers were not getting remunerative prices and consumers were unable to buy rice at affordable rates, while intermediaries alone were benefiting, according to him. He said the escalating prices were disrupting household budgets and making daily life difficult for middle-class and low-income families.
The BRS leader also took aim at the govt‘s claims of record agricultural production. He asked why rice prices were soaring despite higher production levels, arguing that an increase in output should have resulted in lower market prices. He further questioned the effectiveness of the government’s fine-rice distribution scheme, claiming that rising retail prices indicated consumers were not fully embracing the grain supplied under the scheme. Harish Rao alleged that farmers, despite working hard to cultivate crops, were receiving only nominal prices under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) mechanism, while middlemen were reaping substantial profits.
In a statement on Monday Harish Rao criticized the Congress govt over the sharp rise in prices of fine rice and other essential commodities, alleging that the state administration has failed to control inflation and protect consumers.