Betel leaf used to make the popular 'Calcutta paan' has got costlier in Aurangabad in Maharashtra, leaving a bitter taste in the mouth of patrons.
These leaves come from Medinipur in West Bengal and rates have now touched Rs 1200 for a bundle of 100 against Rs 500 till some days ago, paan merchant Mohammed Sharfuddin told PTI.
A tour of shops here showed prices of 'Calcutta paan' had gone up from Rs 8 to anything between Rs 12-20 depending on other ingredients.
"Paan prices had to be increased here because of the betel leaves getting costlier. We have been told cultivation of these leaves has decreased," Sharfuddin, who has been in the business for 54 years, added.
He said shops in Aurangabad sell some 20,000 paan a day and the rise in prices was making people move towards leaves coming in from Chennai.