Centre taking every step to import onions, restore their supply to market: Finance Minister Sitharaman

Ensuring that the country will soon overcome onion crisis, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said that the government was taking every step to import onions and restore their supply to the market.

"At many places, onion prices have fallen down. We have a Group of Ministers, which is reviewing the situation regularly and deciding on how to further take up the import-related issues regarding onions. The onion crop was damaged due to heavy rains and flood," said Sitharaman here at a press conference while answering a question on onion prices

She said that the government is putting in all efforts to import onions and restore their supply to the market.

On Thursday, the Union Government had said that it would import an additional 12,660 metric tonnes of onions, which shall begin arriving in the country from December 27 onwards.

Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan had also written to all Chief Ministers, asking them to carry out immediate anti-hoarding operations to ensure the supplies in the markets are augmented and stock holding limits are strictly enforced.

At various places, the rates of the kitchen commodity have breached the Rs 100 mark, with the prices reaching as high as Rs 200 at some places like Madurai in Tamil Nadu.