New Delhi: Onion prices have soared as high as Rs 150 a kilogram in various parts of the country, cutting deep holes in consumers' pockets.
Despite the Centre's efforts to bring the price under control, experts estimate that the cost is likely to remain high until the first week of January when the produce from the new crop season enters the market.
However, the powers-that-be appear to be unperturbed by the consumers' worries. It was evident from a statement made by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
"I don't eat a lot of onions and garlic, so don't worry. I come from a family that doesn't have much to do with onions," Sitharaman said. The remark drew laughter in the house, and one parliamentarian even pointed out that "eating too much onion tends to make one irritable".
She said her government has already taken several measures, including the ban on exports, imposition of stock limit, import and transfer of onion from surplus to deficit area, to control price rise. Prices of onion in many places have crossed Rs 100 per kg because of less production,” she said.
States take desperate measures
The Odisha government is set to open 256 fair-price shops to sell onion at affordable prices after procuring the vegetable from Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. Onion has not been available in Odisha for the last two days.
The variety procured from Nasik in Maharastra is sold at Rs 120 a kg, while the variety brought in from Andhra Pradesh has been selling at Rs 100 a kg. However, this is likely to increase further as the rate of onion at the source point has increased to Rs 11,000 per quintal.
Demands to distribute onion through fair-price shops are also slowly gaining momentum.
Recently, thefts of onion consignments have been reported in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat amidst the soaring prices.
A truck carrying 40 tons of onions worth Rs 20 to 22 lakh, on the way from Nashik in Maharashtra to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, was found in Shivpuri district in Madhya Pradesh.
In yet another instance, thieves stole 250 kg of the bulb, worth Rs 25,000 last week from near a vegetable shop in Gujarat's Surat city.
Assam, on the other hand, is intent on importing onion from Egypt and Turkey to improve the domestic supply and control its prices.
Assam Food and Civil Supplies Minister Phani Bhusan Choudhury said that onion will be imported from the two countries this month to tide over the current situation.
The Goa Congress on Friday asked the BJP-led state government to provide subsidised onions to the people. Data released by the Union Consumer Affairs Ministry on Thursday had revealed that maximum price of onions, at Rs 110 per kilogram, was recorded in Panaji in Goa.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Food Minister Imran Hussain have accused the Centre of not supplying onion to the state government at concessional rates.
Congress attacks Centre
The Congress on Friday attacked the Centre over spiralling onion prices, accusing it of not taking appropriate measures to tackle the crisis.
In a press conference, the party's Rajya Sabha member Amee Yajnik said the government has "failed utterly" in handling the matter.
"The government has failed miserably in this issue. What is the problem with the government? It seems that they know the problem about the hoarders and where these onions are stored but they are not ready to hit at the particular point...," Yajnik said.
Blaming the BJP government for making people cry over the soaring onion prices, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said, "Onion prices have really rocked the country. It has played with the budget of families and it is necessary to talk about it.
"Onions are still being imported at Rs 27 per kilogram only and is being sold at Rs 120-130. This shows that the hoarders and middlemen have the protection from the government for which the public has to pay a huge cost."
(With inputs from agencies)
