Chandigarh: Though the inflation now stands at 11.05 per cent, rates of grocery items, fruits and vegetables have recorded a hike of 25 to 30 per cent.Varun Chadhadoes a recce of the city markets The skyrocketing inflation, now at a 13-year high, has virtually eroded the hard-earned wealth of the common man. Though the inflation now stands at 11.05 per cent, rates of grocery items, fruits and vegetables have recorded a hike of 25 to 30 per cent. "We are facing a lot of difficulty due to the rising prices of essential commodities. We have to suppress our desires while purchasing fruits and vegetables. What else can we do?' said Neha Talwar, a housewife. The hike in petrol prices has also burnt a big hole in the pocket of residents, most of whom are finding difficult to manage the monthly budget. "Our savings have shrivelled while expenditure is expanding. The monthly grocery bill for a family of four has grown from Rs 2,200 to Rs 3,000. The government should chip in to control the inflation, otherwise, after the farmers, it will be the turn of the common man to commit suicide,' said Narvijay, a government employee. The galloping inflation rate has affected fruit and vegetable vendors as well. "If we don't earn anything, how will we feed our children? We are unable to provide proper clothing, education and other necessities to our children now. How will we secure their lives and future with the prices rising every day?' said Daya Ram, a fruit vendor. Hari Om, a chartered accountant, said the principal objective of the government was to make available an adequate supply of foodgrains, pulses, edible oils for domestic use. But the measures have not produced the desired effect. "Another problem is the wide gap between the prices of food items in the wholesale mandis as revealed by the figures of the Marketing Committee and those charged by retailers. The government should have set up distribution centres or used ration shops to sell bulk purchases made from the wholesale markets. Thus, providing a competitive and countervailing structure to relieve consumers but it has failed to do so,' said Daleep Singh, a professor in Panjab University. Parveen Gupta of Gupta Departmental Store said: "Wholesale prices have gone up and we are passing on the inflated rates to the customers. Our share of profit is the same as it used to be before the inflation,' he added.