Price rise is a world phenomenon today and inflation is affecting every section (rich and poor) of society. About three decades ago we could purchase wheat at thirty rupees a quintal, but today we cannot get it at less than three hundred rupees a quintal in big cities.
Everything was within the reach of man until a few years ago. Today there is no limit to the price rise 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.
In the pre-independence days, a clerk got only Rs. 60 per month, but now he gets about a ten thousand. Pays have gone higher, but the employs are not satisfied. They have large families to maintain and it becomes difficult 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 goes about imposing taxes after taxes on the citizens. This leads to a lot of money going into the national expenditure and into the pockets of corrupt leaders and the officials. Black marketing is another result of these heavy taxes and people begin to conceal their actual income.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
The government should impose taxes on hoarders and rich people. 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 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 and this leads to the rise in the prices of goods. For example, a job that can be done by paying a small amount needs more money because some officials would not do it till they get extra money for it. This leads to an imbalance in the market and often prices don’t remain fixed and lead to an addition to 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 but never come down. This is a problem that has to be tackled at all levels and the common man needs some relief from the continuously rising prices.