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The traffic signal does not function and the entire lane is encroached by cycle rickshaws, kiosks and cars. The area remains choc-abloc, leading to traffic jams on the main road. There is no traffic police to ease the situation. The condition is the same at the sec- ond entry to these colonies from Vatika. But the actual problem starts as one enters the market.

The residents claim that if they had a choice, they would never visit this market. There is filth all around and cattle can be seen roaming around freely The shopkeepers have left no space for shoppers to walk since they have encroached the verandahs.

Vegetable vendors line up on the road in the evening, leaving no space for vehicle movement. The entire area is congested and one can see stray dogs loitering around where people buy their vegetables. The vegetable market is unauthorised but there is no one to keep a check.

"The once of the executive engineer is in the market itself but he has made no effort to improve the condition of the market," says R. G. Mehta, member, Residents Welfare Association (RWA), Vivekanand Block. Fruits and vegetables are kept in an unhygienic condition but the residents have no choice but to buy from here. "Though the market fulfils the purpose of a community market having everything, it is not well kept," says Paromita Mukherjee, a resident of Maruti Vihan

If he is worried about rising interest rates, sky-high inflation or the likelihood of an economic slowdown, Bhattacharya does not show it.

Bhattacharya is not alone in  proving that inflation hits the poor the most. Thousands of people crowd the dozens of malls spread across the National Capital Region.

The young and the old, families, visitors from nearby villages are all trooping into malls hunting for bargains, deals on electronic items, discounts on apparel and combo-schemes for groceries.

According to latest figures, the top eight cities in the country are witnessing a 20% vacancy across 40 million sq