Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: The average inflation rate on food commodities in Assam in the decade beginning 2016 is a whopping 59.7 per cent.
According to information from the Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Department, the inflation rate of flour (normal) during the decade is 55.40 per cent; that of masoor dal is 9.69 per cent, 152.6 per cent for mustard oil, 40 per cent for sugar, 57.7 per cent for rice (normal), 96.3 per cent for soybean oil, 36.4 per cent for gram dal, 96.3 per cent for salt, 17.9 per cent for moong dal, 10.63 per cent for arhar dal, etc.
According to the department's data, on January 1, 2016, the price of an LPG cylinder was Rs 718, which rose to Rs 991 on July 1, 2026. Likewise, the cost of a commercial LPG cylinder was Rs 1,317 on January 1, 2016. It rose to Rs 3,173 on July 1, 2026.
The retail price of flour (general) was Rs 25 a kg in April 2016, and that rose to Rs 38 a kg in July 2026. Likewise, the cost of mustard oil increased from Rs 80 per litre in 2016 to Rs 202 per litre in 2026; soybean oil rose from Rs 75 per litre in 2016 to Rs 165 per litre in 2026; and the price of rice increased from Rs 24 per kg in 2016 to Rs 37 per kg in 2026, among other items.
Apart from essential commodities, the prices of onions, potatoes and other vegetables are also scaling newer heights frequently. The state government has been providing rice free of cost to around 70 lakh families holding ration cards. In the 2026-27 budget, the government also announced that it would supply masoor dal and sugar to ration card holders in the state from August this year.
Simultaneously, the salaries of government employees continue to rise, providing some relief from the impact of rising prices. However, some families who do not belong to either of these two categories-ration card holders or government employees-must rely on manual jobs as daily wage earners or other means to make a living. Inflation has the most severe impact on them.
Speaking to this reporter, a few individuals in the lower-income group said that they have to buy their essential commodities at the same rates from the same markets where government employees drawing fat salaries buy them. "They may not feel the impact of rising prices, but we feel it very acutely. It's not essential commodities alone. The prices of all other commodities keep rising and burning holes in our pockets," one of the individuals working in the unorganised sector lamented.
Traders say they must sell at higher prices because their sources have raised their prices. The Public Distribution and Consumers Affairs, however, lack a mechanism to enforce price control and monitor price increases regularly. They simply absolve themselves of responsibility by requesting that the district authorities hold meetings with traders and review the price lists of shops within their jurisdictions.
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