Fact Check: Netizens Falsely Claim Essential Commodities Were Costlier In 2014 Than In 2021

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India, 2 March 2021 11:00 AM GMT

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As the prices of food commodities have increased under the current NDA government, many right-wing ideologues are posting fake data to claim that in 2014 the prices of essential commodities were more than in 2021.

Social media users are sharing a post claiming that the rate of essential commodities in 2014 (Under the UPA 2 regime) was higher than their prices in 2021 (Under the NDA regime). The post claims that in 2014, the Tur dal cost was Rs 210 per kg, while in 2021, the cost reduced to Rs 91 per kg. Similarly, Urad dal was Rs 178 per kg, which reduced to Rs 125, Moong dal was Rs 180 and now costs Rs 110, Sugar in 2014 cost Rs 45 and now is Rs 38. Chana Dal was Rs 125 in 2014, and now the price is reduced to Rs 64.

The social media posts are intended to claim that prices have reduced during the current regime.

The caption in one of the posts says, ""I was going through the grocery price list & compared it with 2014 figures: *Tur Dhal* 2014 - Rs 210, 2021 - Rs 94; *Urud Dhal*: 2014 - Rs 178, 2021 - Rs 115; *Moong Dhal*: 2014 - Rs 180, 2021 - Rs 110; *Sugar*: 2014 - Rs 45, 2021 - Rs 38; *Chana Dhal*: 2014 - Rs 125, 2021 - Rs 64"

Year LPG Price

2011 ₹ 877
2012 ₹ 922
2013 ₹ 1021
2014 ₹ 1241
2015 ₹ 606
2016 ₹...
Posted by Lekha Chatterjee on Thursday, 18 February 2021

The post is viral on Facebook.

The post is also viral on Twitter.

Claim:

The cost of essential commodities in 2014 was higher than in 2021.

Fact Check:

Price Monitoring Division (PMD) keeps a check on the retail and wholesale prices of 22 essential food commodities from 114 price reporting centres across the country. The items covered include rice, wheat, atta, gram dal, arhar dal, moong dal, urad dal, masoor, dal, tea, sugar, salt, Vanaspati, groundnut oil, mustard oil, milk, soya oil, palm oil, sunflower oil, gur, potato, onion and tomato. Based on the reporting centres' information, the prices of these items are brought out daily by the PMD.

Factly calculated all-India average of month-end prices on essential commodities, based on the data of the Department of Consumer Affairs.

The Logical Indian compared the data of 2014 and 2021 and found an increase in the price of essential commodities in 2021 compared to 2014. Example: Atta in 2014 was Rs 26 per kg, and in 2021, it costs Rs 30.8 per kg, Chana dal in 2014 costs Rs 49.59, and in 2020 it costs Rs 71, moong dal in 2014 cost Rs 97.26 and in 2021, it costs Rs 106.71, sugar in 2014 cost Rs 36.09 and in 2021 it cost Rs 39.08, urad dal in 2014 cost Rs 79.09 and in 2021 it cost Rs 108.71, tur dal in 2014 cost Rs 75.83 and in 2021 it costs Rs 104.06.

Below is the chart to show the difference between the prices present in the viral claim and the original price of commodities. While there is not much variation between the claimed price and the original price cost of commodities in 2021, the variation is very much between the claimed price and the original price in 2014.