Chennai, Oct 15 — Rising prices of rice, pulses, jaggery, and chickpeas are putting pressure on household budgets in Tamil Nadu as families prepare for the festive season, prompting demands for government intervention to make essential food items more affordable.
With Deepavali approaching, families are preparing to buy new clothes, purchase fireworks, and make sweets and savouries.
However, the increasing cost of ingredients is adding to their expenditure and raising concerns about the affordability of traditional celebrations. Prices of some varieties of pulses have increased by as much as Rs 30 per kilogram, while rice prices have also continued to rise.
The increases are affecting purchases of everyday staples as well as ingredients required for special festival dishes.
Jaggery, used in preparations such as sweet pongal, has also become more expensive. Chickpeas, commonly used to prepare sundal during Ayudha Puja celebrations, have reportedly recorded increases of up to Rs 50 per kilogram.
The price increases have been attributed to reduced supplies, changing weather conditions, and stronger seasonal demand.
Together, these factors have pushed up the cost of several essential commodities at a time when household spending typically rises.
The situation has prompted calls for the Tamil Nadu government to take steps to contain prices and ensure adequate supplies. The demands reflect concern that festival purchases are becoming increasingly difficult for families already managing regular food expenses.
The criticism has also taken a political turn, with Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay being urged to pay closer attention to conditions in neighbourhood grocery shops and the financial difficulties faced by consumers.
References to his visits to London, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh have accompanied demands that the administration give greater priority to rising living costs. The criticism centres on whether official assessments adequately reflect the prices households actually pay.
The Food Minister’s assurances that conditions are normal have also been questioned, with calls for the government to seek feedback directly from shoppers and local retailers. For households preparing festival food, the concern is immediate: higher ingredient costs could mean smaller purchases, fewer homemade sweets, or cuts in other spending.
As the festive season gathers pace, demands for action are focusing on bringing essential commodities within reach and preventing rising food bills from overshadowing celebrations across the state in the weeks ahead.