{
  "id": 8407546,
  "title": "Atta, dal, oil & a ‘shattered’ kitchen budget: Cong",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/19/atta-dal-oil-a-shattered-kitchen-budget-cong",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-19T06:53:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Economic Times",
    "slug": "the-economic-times",
    "url": "https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/kitchen-budget-completely-shattered-jairam-ramesh-targets-modi-govt-over-rising-food-costs/articleshow/134349337.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticized the Modi government on Saturday for the soaring cost of essential food items, accusing them of \"shattering\" the nation's kitchen budgets. The Congress general secretary in charge of communications stated that the government's policies had led to a significant increase in the prices of wheat flour, pulses, and cooking oil, straining households across the country. Ramesh alleged that millions of families were facing extreme distress due to the rising kitchen expenses, which he said were outpacing the government's attempts to control inflation through statistical manipulation.\n\nThe Congress leader expressed his concern over the government's alleged dishonesty, accusing them of hiding the truth about the inflation crisis. He contrasted the hardship faced by millions of families with the financial well-being of a few \"crony capitalists,\" who he claimed were enjoying prosperity while ordinary citizens struggled. Ramesh also highlighted the upcoming Assembly elections in several states, emphasizing that voters in these regions, who are bearing the brunt of the rising prices, would hold the government accountable during the polls.\n\nRamesh further pointed out the changes in the payment ecosystem, including the introduction of a Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on certain UPI merchant transactions from October 15. According to the revised framework announced by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), specified UPI transactions above ₹2,000 will attract an MDR of 0.4%, capped at ₹300 per transaction. However, he emphasized that consumers will not directly bear the MDR cost.\n\nWhile the MDR framework aims to support investment in UPI infrastructure, innovation, cybersecurity, and customer services, Ramesh's focus remained on the escalating food prices and their impact on household budgets. His remarks came amid the political climate leading up to the crucial elections, where he urged voters to take notice of the hardships they are facing in their daily lives.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}