'Inflation is higher in West Bengal than Tamil Nadu': Chidambaram takes a jab at ₹340 airport tea

Senior Congress leader and former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram triggered a debate on inflation after sharing his surprise at the high price of tea at Kolkata Airport.

Chidambaram wrote on X that he was charged ₹340 for a simple tea made with hot water and a tea bag at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, a restaurant at the airport. 

He added, “Apparently, inflation is higher in West Bengal than in Tamil Nadu,” taking a jab at the price disparity between the states.

Chidambaram, who represents Tamil Nadu in the Rajya Sabha, recalled a similar experience at Chennai Airport, where he was charged ₹80 for the same tea combination a few years ago.

After raising the issue publicly back then, he noted that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) had taken corrective steps. "A couple of years ago I found that 'hot water and tea bag' cost ₹80 in Chennai airport, and I tweeted about it. AAI took note and took corrective steps," he said.

Chidambaram’s post reignited discussions around the cost of everyday items in high-traffic areas like airports, where prices are often significantly higher than in regular locations.

Several users responded, with one writing, "Everything that is sold at the airport is 10 times costlier than a normal restaurant." Others pointed out that airport vendors are subject to high bidding fees, which often results in inflated prices.

India’s retail inflation was recorded at 3.65% in August 2024, according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). This marked a significant drop from 6.83% in August 2023, though it increased slightly from July 2024’s figure of 3.54%.

This was only the second time in five years that overall retail inflation dipped below the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) 4% target, with the last occurrence being in July 2024. The RBI’s target for inflation is 4%, with a tolerance range between 2% and 6%.

Inflation varied across states. Bihar recorded the highest combined inflation rate in August 2024 at 6.62%, followed by Odisha at 5.63% and Assam at 5.03%. On the other hand, Telangana experienced the lowest inflation rate at 2.02%, followed by Uttarakhand at 2.37%, and Delhi at 2.52%. India’s food inflation, as reflected in the Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI), stood at 5.66% in August 2024, down from 9.94% in the same month in 2023.

Urban food inflation fell to 4.99%, while rural food inflation stood at 6.02%. Despite this overall moderation, the prices of vegetables saw the highest rise, with a 10.71% increase year-on-year, and inflation in urban and rural areas was similar at 13.22%.