In India incessant rise in prices of food grain has been recorded during the last one year. The prices of vegetables and onions were sky rocketing during the past few months. While the price of onion reached to 60 rupees per kg, the prices of Tomato pushed up to 40 rupees per Kg. Prices of other food items ranging from edible oil and rice, to milk and vegetables had shown dramatic increase. People got some relief as the vegetable prices fell during past few weeks. However no considerable fall is seen in prices of other food items. And there is less hope that the prices of these items would actually drop off.
When the prices of food grains and other items climbed to the peak the government had argued that it was because of variation between demand and supply and it claimed that every possible attempt was made by the government that food items would be supplied in the markets as per the demand. As these items were not supplied to the markets according to the needs, people were suspecting whether the country was facing scarcity of food grains. The situation came as a surprise for the people as the monsoon was good the year before and production was also better owing to that. Inspite of that, food items were not supplied in the markets as per demands and their prices had shown a dramatic climb. Government on frequent intervals tried to allay this apprehension. One or the other minister recurrently tried to clear that there was no scarcity of food items and food grains in the country and ample stocks of those items were available. But the question was, despite availability of ample stocks of food items, and good harvest and production why they were not supplied as per demands in the markets and why the prices were skyrocketing? This question was asked several times but government didn’t bother to answer the question and the situation remained unchanged.
People’s fear was justified. Non supply on one side and the rising prices on the other have robbed common people of their purchasing power of essential items. Later such a situation came to the fore which took the whole country by surprise. Thousands of Quintals of rotting foodgrains were discovered in Kolkata. The government could only find this afterward and several thousand tones of food grains were wasted. This issue was also discussed in the court and the court inquired the government that even as the food grains were left to rot why they were not distributed free or supplied at low cost to the people. It was not restricted to rotting of food grains in Kolkata alone but in several other places in the country there was such a huge stock of food grains that the government was finding it hard to stock up on food grains. Despite that the stock was not brought to the market and poor people and common men were forced to bear the brunt of rising prices relentlessly. Besides black marketers and hoarders, middle men and dealers made good money and the common man faced adversity. Such a situation was the cause of surprise for everyone. No clear measures were taken by the government on this issue neither it felt the need to issue any statement over the circumstances. The food grains were rotting on one side and the country was facing scarcity like situation on the other. And the food which was available to the people living below poverty line lacked nutrition.
Inspite of the remarks and alleged reprimands by the courts, the government neither made a move nor arranged for supplying the rotting food grains to the common man.
After months of exorbitant prices, onion and sugar prices came down to some extent and now they can be called to be within the purchasing power of common man.
Now the opposition members also raised the issue in the parliament finding fault with the government that while heaps of food grains are rotting, the poor people are pushed to the brink of starvation.
This shows top-level mismanagement on the government’s part.
Opposition’s criticism is justified and instead of taking it as opposition’s find faulting mission government should take steps to improve the situation. The common man is not getting food items on reasonable prices even as the government is talking of right to food act. It’s government’s duty to take immediate action, preventing food grains from rotting and supply them to common man at the same time take steps to rein in rising prices. Mere silence can worsen the situation and it is the responsibility of the government to improve the situation.