Delhi Govt. facilitating sale of onions at reasonable price: Sheila Dikshit

The Delhi Government is facilitating sale of onions at reasonable prices across the capital and ensuring that it is sold at on a no-profit no-loss basis.

The Delhi Government has been reviewing the situation arising out of increasing trend in onion prices on daily basis.

From August 17 onwards, the sale would start at about 1000 points across the city. The points would include outlets of Safal, DAMB, NAFED and 600 points to be covered by mobile vans.

The city government is taking all possible measures to ensure adequate supply of onions. The wholesale rates in Delhi today ranged between Rs. 30 to Rs. 50 per kg depending upon the quality.

The wholesale prices of onion in Delhi is much lesser than many cities like Karnal, Simla, Kanpur, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Bengaluru, etc. The arrival on 13th and 14th August, 2013 was higher than previous dates and with increased arrival, Delhi will be able to meet its demand.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today discussed the ways and means to contain rising trend in onion prices at a high level meeting attended by Food and Supplies Minister Haroon Yusuf, Development Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan, Chairman (NAFED) Dr. Bijender Singh, Chief Secretary D.M. Spolia, Commissioner (F and S) S.S. Yadav, Secretary (Agriculture) Ramesh Tiwari and Chairman (DAMB) Shri Rajinder Sharma.

Dikshit instructed the departments/agencies concerned to ensure adequate arrangements in order to make smooth sale of onions at reasonable rates. This would help in containing the rising trend. The government has always been intervening to provide relief to people from time to time. The government has always responded to any fluctuation of prices which might affect the consumers. Mechanism is in place to meet such situation and will be further improved.

Dikshit has instructed the departments concerned to keep a close eye on the prices and availability of essential commodities including onions, pulses, sugar, tomatoes and potatoes.

She has further instructed to take strict and swift action against hoarders of essential commodities including onions. The government would not leave the citizens at the whims of the hoarders and black-marketers.

Delhi being a non-onion producing state has to depend on other onion-producing states like Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.

Due to heavy rains, floods, damaged roads and restrictions in movement of traffic due to security reasons keeping in view Independence Day celebrations, the arrival in Delhi has been substantially affected.

Yesterday being a national holiday, there had been no arrival of onions. It is expected that the arrival would improve today.