Prices of notebooks are going up ahead of the beginning of the new academic year.
The 160-page long size notebooks of leading brands sold anywhere between ₹30 and ₹35 are to cost at least ₹5 higher and half size notes are also going to cost higher correspondingly, said K. Thiruvenkatam, a stationery wholesale dealer in the town.
Prices of printing paper, exam paper and copier sheets have gone up considerably.
“The market leader, public sector TNPL, has shut down one of its three paper manufacturing units due to water crisis, Sirpur, Ballarpur and Mysuru paper mills face crises for a variety of reasons and their production has been affected for quite some time.
The price hike should be because of the slump in production,” he added.
Unless it rains and water situation improves, the notebooks are going to cost dearer still. The public sector TNPL that produces high quality paper maintains price equilibrium. That’s why other brands could not hike their prices and paper and notebooks are available at reasonable price. Thukkaram, a retail book seller, said: “Of course the prices of notebooks are going up by around 20 per cent as production slumps due to water crisis. But it won’t affect students of middle class. It may affect poor students but they are supported by free notebooks distributed by the government”.
