Cheap Politics

I refer to an article in a state-run daily of November 14 captioned “Trade Minister spells out price reduction benefits,” giving the revised prices of essential food items as follows:

Earlier            Now
Rs.                Rs.

LP Gas                                                1,863           1,550
Sugar (1 kg)                                          109                84
Dhal                                                        270             149
B. onions                                               138               74
Potatoes                                                 148               74
Canned Fish                                          220            149
Garlic                                                      327            230
Dried Chillies                                       315             200
Gram                                                       250             180
Keeri Samba                                          120               90

The same paper of November 17 under the caption “Slashed prices from weekend” reads thus:

Sugar (1 kg)                         Rs.      80
Dhal (1 kg)                           Rs.    140
B. onions (1 kg)                  Rs.      65
Potatoes (1 kg)                    Rs.      65
Red onions (1 kg)               Rs.      75
Dried chillies (1 kg)           Rs.    195
Milk powder 400g              Rs.    225
Canned fish                          Rs.    149
Basmathi rice (1 Kg)            Rs.    85

Anyone comparing the two lists will realise that there is a glaring difference!  One wonders which prices are effective.

It is sad the politicians try so hard to take the masses for a big ride. Do they think we citizens are suffering from senile dementia just like them?

They must remember that people are not gullible any more. This is nothing but cheap politics.

S.N.de S. Gunasekera
Dehiwela