CPI cadre stage a demonstration at Vannarpet in Tirunelveli on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: A. SHAIKMOHIDEEN Condemning the sharp increase in the prices of essential commodities, the CPI organised demonstration here on Tuesday.The protestors said the price of rice, sugar, dhal, cooking oil and other essential commodities had sharply increased in the recent past.
While the price of most of the fine variety rices had increased up to 50%, some of the top quality rice varieties were being sold for ₹100 a kg., affecting hundreds of families.Sugar was being sold at ₹72 a Kg, which was only ₹48 a kg two months ago. Since the Union Government was giving more push for ethanol-blended petrol, more than 25 lakh tonnes of sugarcane was being diverted for making ethanol and the quantity of sugarcane being used for making sugar had come down drastically.With the sharp decline in sugar production, the price of sugar in the domestic market had increased unprecedentedly even as demand for sugar was going up during the festival season.
Similarly, the price of black gram (from ₹120 to ₹150), coriander (from ₹160 to ₹250) and split Bengal gram (from ₹80 to ₹100) had increased.“To add more misery, the price of commercial LPG cylinder is being upwardly revised at regular interval to make things worse for consumers,” the protestors said.Similar agitations were organised in Thoothukudi, Tenkasi and Nagercoil also. Published - November 03, 2026 09:01 pm IST