Onion price on the rise again, may harm Cong
Onion price has again shot up in the national capital to `70 per kg. The crisis has struck just before the Assembly elections, slated in November this year, which can take a toll on the city Congress government. The government, however, played down the issue by comparing it with the onion crisis in 1998 during BJP’s rule.
“In year 1998, the prices of onion had reached `100 per kg. The situation in under control and if required, we would depute more vans to sell onions on cheaper rates on door to door basis. The problem has surfaced as the arrival of onion has been effected due to heavy rains in Karnataka and Ganeshotsava celebration in Maharashtra. We are selling onion on cheaper rates at five places, including the Delhi secretariat parking,” the minister told reporters here.
However, the minister’s claims were deflated as there were no onions available at the state government’s stall at the parking of Delhi secretariat.
The government had launched mobile vans to sell onions at 1,000 places in the city when the skyrocketing prices of onion crossed the rate of `80 per kg. The rates came down to `40-50 during mid-August and early September and the government and other political parties stopped selling onions on cheaper rates.
Experts say the arrival of onion will become normal in a few days but the prices of onion will come not come down before October.
The average wholesale price in the country’s largest wholesale onion market, Lasalgaon APMC, hovered at a record high of `4,800 per quintal in the first week of this month.
The unprecedented price rise is attributed to a sudden decline in regular supplies.
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