Noida:The celebrations of festivals has become a costly affair as inflated prices have taken its toll on the residents of Noida. Skyrocketing prices of essential vegetables and fruits have come down heavily on a common man`s pocket. And, with the festivals of Eid, Raksha Bandhan and Janamashtmi knocking at the door, the usual cheer in the city seems to have lost its charm.

“Just as it happens during every other festival, price of vegetables and fruits have spiraled ahead of Janamashtmi” said Adarsh, a fruit vendor at the Atta Market.

Price of apple has reached Rs.130 per kg while pomegranate is being sold at Rs. 140. Potato, which is the most commonly consumed vegetable, is also making people feel the pinch as its price has also soared to Rs 20 to 25 per kg against Rs 8 to 10 per kg just over a month ago. Tomatoes, another such vegetable, too observe a similar trend.

Similarly, banana, which was sold in the retail market at the rate of Rs 20-25 per dozen, has seen its price getting double.

Rashmi Kumar, a resident of Sector 29, said “we are left with no choice, it is difficult to explain this to kids” Further more, the demand for dates -the traditional food used to break fasts during Ramzan, has surged its price to Rs. 80 a kg compared to Rs.50 last month.
Prices of several sweets including sawaiyans are expected to soar as Eid is round the corner. To make the celebrations even more sour, milk prices have once again affected sweet preparations. "With the ongoing festival season, the hike in milk price does not bode well for buyers. It will definitely impact the pockets of end consumers. The price of mawa, used for preparing almost all the sweets, has already gone up by 20 per cent," said Pradeep Jain of Aggarwal sweets