Bhubaneswar: The opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Thursday strongly criticized the state government, alleging that it completely failed to control the unabated rise in prices of essential commodities in Odisha due to inflation.
The party stated that ever since the BJP came to power, Odisha’s inflation rate has consistently remained higher than the national inflation rate during the last two years, which reflects the failure of the state government.
In a press statement, BJD spokesperson Mihir Ray said, “According to the recently released report on the inflation situation in August 2026, while the country’s inflation rate stood at 4.82 per cent, Odisha’s inflation rate was 5.52 per cent. Among all the states in the country, Odisha’s inflation rate stood at the fifth highest. Only four states, namely Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, had higher inflation rates than Odisha.”
He further argued that, importantly, the rural areas of Odisha have recorded a higher inflation rate compared to urban areas.
“While the inflation rate in rural areas stood at 5.90 per cent, the inflation rate in urban areas was 4.47 per cent. During the financial year 2024-25, while the national inflation rate stood at 4.6 per cent, Odisha’s inflation rate was 6.0 per cent. Odisha’s inflation rate has consistently remained higher than the national inflation rate, while rural inflation has regularly remained higher than urban inflation,” Ray added.
He also stated that due to the higher inflation rate, the prices of essential commodities such as sugar, onions, edible oil and other items have increased substantially in the state, causing immense hardship to consumers.
The BJD spokespersons accused the state government of not showing any urgency in taking effective measures to bring the rising inflation rate in Odisha under control.
“Out of the 42 departments of the state government, the Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare Department is in the worst state of affairs. At a time when Odisha’s inflation rate is consistently remaining high, the Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare Department is sitting idle with its hands tied,” Ray alleged.
–IANS
