Peel bad factor: Onions at Rs 20/kg

Pankhoori Sinha / TNN / Sep 9, 2005, 01:25 IST

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Onion prices, that created a furore in 1998, are on the rise again. Govt is planning to open retail outlets to regulate the onion prices.

NEW DELHI: It seems like deja vu for the residents of Delhi. Onion prices, that created a furore in 1998, are on the rise again.
In some areas in the city, the prices have gone up by Rs 5-10. Said Nirmala Vaidyanathan, a resident of Dwarka: "Last week, I bought onions at Rs 10 per kg.
This week the price has shot up to Rs 14 for one kg. The price rise has put the monthly budget out of gear." The government meanwhile, is alarmed over the onion price situation.
Said an official: "We are very concerned about the rising prices of onions. We have been holding high-level meetings to see what we can do about the situation."

Some experts have attributed the rise in price to the inclement weather. According to an agricultural expert: "The prices are rising because there is likely to be a shortage of onions this season caused by the floods in Maharashtra."
Officials at the prominent mandis in the city deny supply being a problem. Said an official at the Azadpur mandi: "Supply has not affected the onion prices whatsoever. The shortfall in supply from Maharashtra was made up by supply from Rajasthan."

While the consumers are sweating it out, the government is striving hard to rein in the prices. It is planning to open retail outlets, through NAFED to regulate the onion prices, revealed a government official.
Customers meanwhile, are nonplussed. Said T N Raina, a resident of Mandakini Enclave: "What is the poor man going to do? It is a part of diet.
The authorities are also misleading us. They advertise the maximum rate of superior quality onion as Rs 14 per kg, but by the time they reach the retailer, they��ll cost an astounding Rs 20 for one kilogram of onion."
The recent hike in petrol and diesel prices have only added to their fear. Some experts are of the view that traders could be manipulating the prices.

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