J. Gomathi has been waiting for 10 years for a ration card. Her application was processed, rejected, and now is back to the processing stage. “I have given up. They made me run from pillar to post. I quit my job as my meagre income could not be used to buy rice and other commodities,” she said.

The increase in prices of essential commodities, along with environmental pollution in the heavily industrialised area, has caused concern for residents of the Tiruvottiyur constituency in Tiruvallur district.