Household budget goes into a tizzy after diesel price hike in National Capital

Vegetable prices have increased following an unprecedented hike in diesel prices, sending the household budget into a tizzy. As the fuel prices continue to climb up steadily, the common man of the national Capital is bearing the brunt.

In the past few days, retail and wholesale rates of all seasonal vegetables have shot by Rs 5-10. 

According to vendors, they had hardly been able to recover from the price rise they had witnessed during the thunderstorm at the beginning of the month, that they are now left to battle with the increase in diesel prices.

Vegetables such as lady's finger which was sold at Rs 50 per kilogram in the retail market is now priced at Rs 60. Cucumber and potatoes are fetching a rate of Rs 40 and Rs 20, respectively. Till last week, they were available at Rs 30 and Rs 15, respectively. Wholesalers are a worried lot as they feel that the prices may increase further if diesel charges shoot up unchecked.

"We have been getting a steady supply of all the products. The problem is that we are paying Rs 1-2 extra per kilogram of the stock we are taking. It may seem a small amount by when you buy in tonne, but it actually is huge," said Mahendra Sharma, a wholesale stockist in Azadpur.

Zeeshan Sheikh, a vegetable seller in Noida sees it as a domino effect. "We are buying at a higher rate, and hence forced to sell costly fare."

Other aspects of life, too, have been affected as diesel cost rose sharply. While vegetable prices skewed household budget, people are contemplating carpooling to curtail their monthly expenditures. Housewives claim to be cutting corners to run the kitchen.

"It has affected everything around which our life revolves. We cannot stop eating food, so I am trying to avoid cooking costlier vegetables like bitter gourd, lady's finger, arbi for a few days," said Rachna Sahni, a resident of RK Puram.

Sharing her concern but on a different plane, is Pramod Das, who drives to his workplace everyday from Noida to Gurugram. "With the way diesel is shooting through the roof, I have started carpooling with my neighbours who work in Gurugram or nearby. This is the only feasible solution," he says.

Shalini Singh, a lawyer, who lives in Vasant Vihar, has similar woes. "I had recently bought a diesel car. I could not believe the price hike would be fourfold. This is like putting too much pressure on the common man affecting commodities of household use as well. It has shaken the monthly expense," she said.