New Delhi, 21 September (H.S.): Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh has alleged that the Modi government has remained silent on inflation despite a sustained rise in the prices of food items and essential commodities across the country. He said the rising prices of pulses, spices, edible oils and onions had added to the difficulties faced by poor and middle-class families. Ramesh demanded that the government take immediate and stringent measures to contain inflation and provide relief to the common people.

In a post on X on Monday, Ramesh claimed that the prices of spices had increased by 10 to 25 per cent over the past month. He said the price of small cardamom had risen from Rs 4,000 to Rs 4,400 per kilogram, large cardamom from Rs 2,400 to Rs 2,800, cumin from Rs 360 to Rs 400, and mace from Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000 per kilogram.

He further claimed that the price of pigeon pea (arhar) dal had increased from Rs 100 to Rs 130 per kilogram, gram dal from Rs 70 to Rs 100, and urad dal from Rs 120 to Rs 140 per kilogram. Similarly, he claimed that mustard oil had risen from Rs 190 to Rs 210 per litre, while Saffola oil had increased from Rs 240 to Rs 280 per litre.

Ramesh said that between June and September, the all-India average retail price of onions had increased from Rs 29.50 per kilogram to Rs 53.78 per kilogram. Describing this as an increase of around 82.3 per cent, he said inflation was making pulses and other essential food items increasingly unaffordable for poor households.

He said the government should take immediate and stringent measures to curb what he described as uncontrolled inflation and provide relief to the public.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar