The annual ritual of fasting and feasting during the Dussehra festival has proved to be a costly affair with the prices of vegetables and fruits going through the roof.
As there is an increase in the consumption during the season, vendors have jacked up prices to cash on the same. A kg of potato was priced at Rs 30 before the start of Navartri but it now costs Rs 50.
Another vegetable consumed often by people during fasting periods is sweet potato (shakerkandi), the price of which was increased by Rs 40 per kg recently. It is now priced at Rs 60 per kg.
While these are retail prices fixed by vendors in the Sector 26 vegetable market, vegetables sold by regular vendors in the city are more expensive.
Deepak, a vendor from the Sector 26 market, said, “Due to Navratri, there has been an increase in the prices of potato and sweet potato. Moreover, the irregular supply of vegetables led to the hike in prices.”
Some vendors are monopolising the supply of vegetables.
On Saturday, a vendor in the vegetable market in Phase 4, SAS Nagar, was selling sweet potatoes for Rs 100 per kg as he was the only one who had the entire stock in the whole market. The prices of other items consumed during the festive season, including wheatbuck flour, fasting potato chips, have also witnessed an increase.
One kg of wheatbuck flour (kuttu aata) is available at Rs 95, which is otherwise priced at Rs 60 per kg on regular days. A 15 gram special fasting potato chips packet is available for Rs 25 in the market whereas it was earlier priced at Rs 15. Fruits have also become more expensive. One kg of apple, which was earlier available at Rs 90, is now priced at Rs 120. A kg of papaya is priced at Rs 60, whereas it was Rs 40 earlier.
{{/usCountry}}One kg of wheatbuck flour (kuttu aata) is available at Rs 95, which is otherwise priced at Rs 60 per kg on regular days. A 15 gram special fasting potato chips packet is available for Rs 25 in the market whereas it was earlier priced at Rs 15. Fruits have also become more expensive. One kg of apple, which was earlier available at Rs 90, is now priced at Rs 120. A kg of papaya is priced at Rs 60, whereas it was Rs 40 earlier.
{{/usCountry}}Bananas are priced at Rs 60 a dozen, whereas it was available at Rs 40 per dozen earlier.