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| Either go back to stone age or accept inflation as fact of life | | | Gareeb Dass
Jammu | June 1
Despite feeble measures initiated by the Government in bringing down prices of essential commodities and other consumer items inflation,across India,has touched a new high of 8.1 percent.It went on rising from 5.3 per cent to 7.82 per cent during the last one year and the weekend figure was 8.1 per cent.In spite of the Government claim that it had not resorted to hoarding of petrol and diesel measures on rationing supply of diesel and petrol are being considered seriously.owners of petrol pumps have started refusing consumers request for filling the tanks of their vehicles to its full.At a number of places in Punjab each consumer can fill the oil tank of his or her car for upto Rs.300.Aam Admi is a worried lot as he fears the prices of petrol and diesel were to be hiked by Rs.four and Rs.two per litre respectively.Housewives are a dismayed lot as they fear the cooking gas prices may be increased by Rs.20.It is going to be a big drain on the purse of common people when prices of edible oil,basmati,pulses,fresh fruit and vegetables have skyrocketed during the last over one year.
And if the petrol and diesel prices are hiked and rationing is introduced it may affect normal life and cast a shadow on the tourism industry in the country.Rationing in petrol and diesel supplly may force the Government to impose restrictions on tours of ministers and bureaucrats.Once this happened people may be able to see the faces of senior Government functionaries once or twice a year.It may bring down production and sale of cars and two-wheelers.It may boost production and demand for the bicycles and those living in small towns and cities may be forced to prefer driving in a tonga to spending fortune on car driving.Medical experts are of the opinion that people may be compelled to walk on foot while shopping for vegetables,groceries and fruit.Hitherto,car and two-wheeler owners have been found driving to markets,just a pouple of furlongs from their residence for purchasing items of daily use.Once it happened it can put a stop to their sedentry life.Again once it happend the level of hypertension and diabetes among the Indians was bound to fall.
Once prices of essential commodities keep on rising the Government will have no other alternative but to promulgate guest control order.Even the hoteliers and restaurant owners would be directed to prepare limited dishes for their customers.In the prevalent situation where the majority of states,including Jammu and Kashmir face acute power shortage,any fresh hike in the prices of cooking gas could motivate people to consume raw vegetables and adopt vegetarianism as their philosophy of life And those who are not prepared for consuming raw vegetables would have to bank on fuel from forests.Once this happened the level of degradation of forests would further increase.These things can be possible.But what about continuous hike in the prices of medicines,including life saving drugs.The prices of medicines have increased from 20 to 45 per cent during the last two years.Yes,only those who can afford to buy costly medicines may try to remain physically fit others would be forced to take to Yoga exercises for ensuring better physical stamina,free from body ailments.
Once prices of petrol and diesel kept on rising every year people would have to think twice before they plan to visit some distant tourist resorts in their cars.It would drop the level of vehicle trips in the cities and towns and on the inter-state and inter-district routes thereby lightening the burden on the shoulders of traffic police.If you raise an accusing finger against the Government the establishment couners it by saying that inflation has been a global phenomenon and India cannot be free of it.
In fact the price structure of fuel,diesel and petrol,is governed by the flctuating oil prices in the oil producing nations.These nations dictate terms to the oil consuming countries.Unfortunately scientists and other technical experts have been engaged in the making of missiles and space shuttles.Even in India billions of rupees are spent on the missile and space shuttle programmes.While in some developed nations scientists have been asked to carry out research for finding an alternative to petrol and diesel driven vehicles in India there is no such major scheme in hand.Not only this oil and gas extraction programme in India has been going on at a snail's pace.In the past the price structure of various items would be governed by the level of gold prices but of late the market trends are governed by fuel prices.Once prices of diesel and petrol keep on rising prices of all consumer items shoot up on account of hike in the transporation charges.Like corruption inflation has been allowed to become a global phenomenon and a consumer state like Jammu and Kashmir has to to be on the receiving end all the time. |
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