Aizawl, Aug 2 : The rise in prices of essential commodities in Mizoram has hit the common people here extremely hard. For people without steady jobs, it has become very difficult to afford even three square meals a day.
While rice distributed through the PDS was never sufficient to meet the needs of the people, in Aizawl one has to shell out Rs 38 to buy a kg rice or Rs 27 to buy a kg flour.
All vegetables are much dearer here because of transportation costs, said Mawii, a grocery store owner in Aizawl's Borabazaar.
A kg of brinjal costs Rs 80, cabbage Rs 60, potato Rs 30, tomato Rs 80 and onion costs Rs 30.
Manual and daily labourers in Mizoram receive a wage of Rs 300 a day (Rs 250 for women) and a day's inwage is not even sufficient to buy a kg of meat. In Aizawl, one kg beef costs Rs 250, pork Rs 240, mutton Rs 280 and chicken Rs 240. A kg of fish costs Rs 180 while one egg is Rs 5.
Biakzama, a state government employee, said it has become difficult to cope with the rising prices even after the state government adopted the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations. "It would be more difficult for the daily labourers to make ends meet," he said.
Though vegetables can be purchased at lower rates in the rural areas, vegetables and other products imported from outside are dearer in the villages, making the lives of villagers miserable.
The villagers, who have a limited income, pay a high price for essential commodities like edible oil, potato, dal, rice, onion and tea.
While the state government seems confused regarding which department has the authority to check prices of essential commodities, the people are suffering as butchers, vegetable wholesalers, retailers and grocery owners are raising the prices with impunity, said Lalthlamuana Ralte, assistant professor of the economics department at the Pachhunga University.
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