Delhi food minister writes to Paswan seeking supply of more onions through NAFED

The Delhi government has asked the Centre to supply adequate quantity of onions to keep the price of the kitchen staple in check and claimed that the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) has not been able to keep up with the demand in the national capital.

The Food and Civil Supplies minister of Delhi, Imran Hussain, raised the demand on Thursday in his letter to Union Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan.

The Delhi government is selling onions through around 250 mobile vans cross the city, at a subsidised rate of Rs 23.90 per kg. The price of onions in the local markets has been keeping in the range of Rs 60-80 per kg.

Hussain requested Paswan to direct NAFED to supply 10 trucks of onions everyday for Delhi for the next 10 days.

"The Delhi government has put in place adequate infrastructure for sale of onions at Rs 23.90 per kg. However, NAFED has not been able to match the demand of the Delhi government for the adequate supply to ensure stabilisation of onion prices in Delhi," he said.

In a meeting with senior officials of his department and NAFED, Hussain reviewed onion prices in Delhi and directed officers of Delhi State Civil Supplies Corporation (DSCSC) and NAFED to intensify efforts to ensure that adequate quantities of onions are made available to the residents of Delhi.

According to a statement, the Delhi Government has decided to increase the number of mobile vans for supply of onions up to 400 so as to cater the need of each municipal wards in Delhi.