Flowers, fruits prices soar ahead of Gowri-Ganesha festival in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: As the Gowri-Ganesha festival approaches this week, markets across Bengaluru are witnessing a sharp spike in the prices of flowers and fruits, driven by high festive demand and erratic supply in recent times.
On Sunday, jasmine touched Rs 3,800 per kg, with smaller quantities priced at Rs 40 for just 10 grams, one of the highest prices seen this season. Tube roses, which were being sold for Rs 120–Rs 150/kg in wholesale markets like KR Market, are now retailing at Rs 400/kg in areas such as Basavanagudi and Jayanagar, as reported by The New Indian Express.
Furthermore, fruits are also significantly costlier. Yelakki bananas are retailing at Rs 160 a kg, oranges at Rs 200, and apples at Rs 240-260, each priced at least Rs 30–Rs 40 more than earlier this week. Coconuts and other bananas, essential for puja rituals, are also dearer by at least Rs 40 per piece.
The price hike comes as transport disruptions and rainfall in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have reduced daily arrivals at city markets. “Truckloads of flowers usually come in daily, but the last few weeks have seen smaller quantities reaching Bengaluru. When supply tightens and demand peaks before festivals, rates shoot up,” TNIE quoted Mutthu M., a wholesale trader at KR Market, as saying.
Retailers further pointed out that they are compelled to pass on increased procurement and logistics costs to consumers, leaving little margin to cushion the impact.
Many families shopping over the weekend reported reducing the quantity of items or opting for cheaper alternatives, with some turning to online grocery apps to compare prices and find better deals.
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PM Modi, myself don't have 'wife issue': Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi (PTI): In a friendly banter, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and he didn’t have "the wife issue", as the Congress MP emphasised that everyone has learnt from women in their lives.
Participating in a debate in the Lok Sabha on the three bills introduced for amendments to the women's quota law and setting up a delimitation commission, Gandhi said women are a driving force in the national imagination and national perspective.
"All of us in this room have been influenced, taught, and have learnt a lot from women in our lives – from mothers, sisters, wives," Gandhi said.
"Of course, the prime minister and myself don't have the wife issue, so we don't get that input, but we have our mothers and sisters," he said while referring to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju's light-hearted remark that he got a scolding at home as he did not pen a poem for his wife like Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal did.
Gandhi also lauded his sister and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi's speech in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
"Yesterday, I was watching my sister achieve in five minutes what I have not been able to do in 20 years of my political career – make Amit Shah Ji smile," Gandhi said to peals of laughter.
