As the Left Front commemorates the golden jubilee of the food movement by paralysing the city on Monday, the Calcuttan will be lamenting the upward movement of food prices as much as the curbs on his freedom of movement.

“An event to commemorate the food movement does not help me in any way. I would be happy if they could do something about food prices instead,” complained Paikpara homemaker Anasua Datta.

Anasua has started rationing every food item to make ends meet. “I used to buy 2.5kg of sugar a month; now I buy 500gm less,” she said.

Traders attributed the price rise to the Aila effect on agriculture in parts of Bengal and lower production across the country because of a rain-deficient monsoon.

According to a wholesaler, Monday’s rally to commemorate the 1959 uprising that was also triggered by rising prices — 80 protesters died in police firing during a march in the city on August 31 that year — could aggravate the current crisis. “So many trucks will be on rally duty that the supply chain is sure to be affected. Even a day’s break in the food-supply chain can affect price movement,” he said.

Several items have become dearer by up to Rs 10 since Ramazan began. The price of sugar has gone up from Rs 30 to Rs 33 per kg, masur dal from Rs 60 to Rs 70 a kg, eggs from Rs 3 to Rs 3.50 per piece, milk from Rs 20 to Rs 22 per litre and apples from Rs 60-70 to Rs 90-120 per kg.

“My four-member family spends Rs 150 on food to break our fast every evening. Our expenses were much less last Ramazan,” said Zeenat Salauddin of Park Circus.

Finance minister Asim Dasgupta said after a meeting with food minister Paresh Adhikari on Sunday that sugar would be sold at Rs 27.50 a kg, mustard oil at Rs 58 a litre, and pulses at subsidised rates through the public distribution system from the first week of September.