Dweep Tulika

Port Blair: Chairman of the Campaign Committee of the Andaman and Nicobar Pradesh Congress Committee (ANTCC), TSG Bhasker , has urged the Andaman and Nicobar Administration to take immediate steps to address what he described as a shortage and abnormal increase in the prices of essential commodities across the Islands. In a letter addressed to the Director, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs , Bhasker said prices of several essential commodities had increased significantly over the past few months, placing an additional financial burden on consumers. According to Bhasker, the increase has affected a wide range of items, including grains, sugar, cooking oil, vegetables, fruits, other perishable goods, medicines, household necessities and appliances . Potato prices cited as example Highlighting what he described as the severity of the situation, Bhasker said the price of potato had reportedly reached as high as ₹180 per kg . He said such increases were particularly affecting mi...

  Sri Vijaya Puram | August 23, 2026 Household grocery budgets are facing fresh pressure as prices of some essential commodities, particularly sugar and edible oils , have increased in recent weeks. However, the increase has not been uniform across all essential food items. Sugar has emerged as one of the most notable areas of concern. Recent reports indicate that sugar prices in India have risen amid tighter supplies, prompting the Centre to take measures to improve availability, including allowing duty-free imports of raw sugar. Edible oils have also remained expensive. Government data indicates a significant increase in edible-oil prices, while recent market reports show particularly high prices for sunflower and other cooking oils in several states. Some pulses have recorded more moderate increases. Recent government data showed increases in the prices of urad dal , tur dal and masoor dal , while moong dal recorded a relatively smaller movement. For consumers in the ...