Delhi govt asks traders to import onion; Haryana plans stock limit

Concerned over skyrocketing prices of onion, the Haryana government has planned to impose stock holding limit on the commodity in the State.

The Delhi government today said that it would ask wholesale traders to import onion in large quantity. Development Minister Gopal Rai and Food and Supplies Minister Asim Ahmed Khan held a review meeting with the traders of Azadpur vegetable market to discuss the situation.

The Union Territory of Chandigarh Administration is also mulling over supplying onion at ‘No Profit and No Loss’ rate to consumers through low-cost stalls and mobile vans.

“We have proposed to impose stock holding limit on onions to be stored by wholesale and retailer (to check rising prices of onion),” a senior official of Haryana Food and Supplies Department told PTI here today. The state Food and Supplies department has proposed to impose stock holding limit of 50 quintals of onion for wholesaler and 20 quintals for retailer.

The decision on imposing stock holding limit will be taken by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar as the file in this regard has been sent to the CM office. “Once the stock holding limit is fixed, then enforcement action will be taken against any hoarder of onion,” he said.

Centre’s directive Yesterday, the Centre had asked all states to take stringent action against hoarders and impose stock holding limits in the wake of spiralling prices of onions.

Delhi Development Minister Gopal Rai said that at a review meeting, “traders told us that the price of onion has gone down by ₹3 to ₹5 in markets in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh and we will get to see the impact in next three-four days in the city’s markets.”

He said there was no shortage of stock of onion in Azadpur market.

According to the Minister, Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) has called a meeting with members of Potato and Onion Merchants Association tomorrow over the issue.

Asim Ahmed Khan flagged off around 13 mobile vans which will sell onions at Rs 30 per Kg in different parts of the capital.

Meanwhile, the Chandigarh Administration has planned to sell onions at ‘No Profit and No Loss’ rates to consumers.

“We are planning to sell onions through low cost stalls and mobile vans at no profit and no loss prices,” Chandigarh Food, Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Joint Director, Danish Ashraf said here. “We will soon come out with an action plan in this regard,” he further said.

Onions will be sold at almost wholesale rate, official said.

Action against hoarders Last year also, the Chandigarh Administration sold onions at ‘No Profit and No Loss’ prices which was quite popular in the city.

Asked about action being taken against hoarders, Ashraf said, “a system has been put in place to gather intelligence about any hoarding being done by traders to take action. Besides, people who find onion hoarding taking place anywhere can also lodge complaint with concerned authorities.”

However, the Chandigarh Administration has found that there was very less possibility of storing onions in large quantity as rent charges for storage purposes was very high in the city.

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