In the year 2014, I had the opportunity to spend some time in Pune and New Jersey (US). Among other things, what surprised me was the price of tomato. It was Rs.4/- per kg in Ranchi. It was Rs.16/- per kg in Pune. It was $4 per kg in NJ. Another difference that I noticed was quality of garbage and their disposal. In Ranchi, rummagers used to collect whatnots from the garbage. Pune was a bit more sophisticated. Its roadside garbage bins contained damaged/used goods and furniture’s. NJ showed affluence. By the roadside and preferably near the garbage bins, there were second hand and usable household items such as TV, sewing machine, gas burners, bicycle etc. I asked my daughter. She told me that buying new and latest products is more advantageous than mending/repairing old items. Repair is very costly with no guarantee. I returned to Pune after a year. I found a discarded laptop on the boundary sill of an apartment.
These days, even in small town like Ranchi, I find that
buying new is wiser than getting old repaired. Repairmen have become more
cunning and ruthless especially in Corona period. 3 years back they were
charging Rs.30/- for servicing a gas burner. Now they hike the bill to
Rs.1000/-. They usually find several spares to be replaced with so-called
branded spares. After dismantling, they dictate .So are the electrician, plumbers and the likes.
If you call service engineers from Call centers and help
lines, you are duped more aggressively. They will open-up the non-functional TV, microwave or washing machine and would lay
down replacement price list of the company and suggest alternative routes at a far cheaper
price. In addition, they would try to bag the so-called damaged parts too.
These days, in season, tomato price never goes down below
Rs.20/- per kg in Ranchi. Off-season, it spirals up to Rs.200/-per kg. NJ price is still $4-6.
