Guwahati: The last six months Pandemic Covid-19 coupled with price inflation has shaken residents in various economical segments – they are mostly hit.
The crisis has hit the most difficult family whose annual income is less than Rs 5 Lakh when the cost of living in the largest city in the northeast has surged in the past six months.
There is a government welfare scheme for the poor, but Surcor is limited to those whose annual income is under RS ​​1 lakh per year under the National Food Security Law.
Under this action, only rice comes free – every family member whose annual income below RS 1 lakh gets 5kg of rice every month.
Kerosene (1.5 liters / per household) comes with subsidized rates per month.
Sometimes, they get onions and sugar, which also comes with subsidized rates but not free.
According to the World Bank documents about 2012 poverty, one third of the 3.1 crore of Poor Assam.
Another report of the Urban Assam infrastructure project funded by ADB, “estimated 23% of the total population in the city of Guwahati is below the poverty line and / or living in extreme poverty pockets.” TOI spoke with four families who lived in the city with different annual income but under RS ​​5 Lakh to find out how expensive those who live in the largest urban center in the region have become more expensive in the past six months.
Starting from the lowest income group is Sabita Kalita, which produces RS 8,000 a month working as domestic aid.
He said that for the past six months the monthly expenditure was fired from around RS 5,000 in April to around Rs 7,500 now.
He received 20 kg of rice under the free PDS and 1.5 liters of kerosene at RS 90 from a fair price store.
He also received a financial assistance of RS 1,000 at this time under the Orunodoi scheme because he was a widow.
For Kulageeta Saud, who works in the company and lives here in Guwahati in a rented house, the story is no different.
He said his spending on vegetables, fuel, fish, meat and gas cooking almost doubled in the past six months but the only relief was that the owner had not yet climbed a rent house.
Saud produced RS 17,000 a month and monthly expenditure, which around Rs 8,000 in April has now increased to more than Rs 12,000.
The impact of price increases has described the monthly budget of the Nalini Sarma government employee, who works at Gahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH).
He said the monthly spending has increased by almost 23%.
Sarma, whose monthly income is around Rs 40,000, does not qualify for any government scheme, including free PDS or Arunodoi rations.
Will the watershed, an electrician, produces around Rs 25,000 a month.
Its monthly spending has increased at least 34% since April this year.