Problem of Rising Prices
Prices are rising everyday in all parts of the world. Inflation is effecting every section of the society. About three decades ago we could purchase wheat at thirty rupees a quintal, but today we cannot get it at less than thirteen rupees a quintal in big cities.
Everything was inexpensive in the past. Today there is no limit to the prices of all kinds of items. Millions of people in the world have to go hungry. They have to work hard to make both ends meet.
A clerk used to earn Rs. 60/- in pre-independence days, but now he gets about five thousand in most places. Office pay is much higher. The government tries to raise the pay scales, but the employees are not satisfied.
They have large families to maintain and it becomes difficult for them to feed so many mouths with hardly any money. There is a dearth of cheap accommodation and there are many people living in slums. The prices of clothes are also high and often some people don’t even have any money to buy these to cover themselves with.
The government imposes taxes on the citizens. This leads to a lot of money going into the national expenditure. Black marketing is another result of these heavy taxes and people begin to conceal their actual income.
The government may impose taxes on the hoarder and rich people. The production of agricultural goods should be increased along with industrial goods. Their prices should be fixed.
The government should undertake a big scheme of rationing in cities and villages. Cheap clothes should be produced and essential items should be distributed through government shops.
Corruption must be ended at all levels. Corruption adds to the problem of prices. Bribing is common in most government offices etc. and this leads to the rise in the prices of everything.
For example, a job that can be done by paying a small amount needs more money because some official will not do it till he gets some extra money for. This leads to an imbalance in the market and often prices don’t remain fixed and this leads to an addition in the burden on the common man.
The Finance Minister plans the budget every year and we often find a fluctuation in the prices. They soar and seldom diminish. This is a problem that has to be tackled at all levels and the common man needs some relief from the continuously growing prices.
