War Of Words Erupt Over Hike In Onion Prices, Farmers Say Markets Receiving Less Produce
New Delhi: Leaders of the ruling NDA and the Opposition sparred over the hike in onion prices across the country, even as farmers attributed the price rise to low produce reaching markets due to alleged hoarding by middlemen and thea gap in the monsoon.
Firoz Tamboli, who has been selling onions for the last 15-20 years in Maharashtra’s Pimpri-Chinchwad, said less than 40 per cent of the stock is reaching markets due to which onion prices are currently placed at Rs. 40-50 per kg, compared to around Rs 20-25 per kg last year.
“Due to an increase in the rate of diesel, the cost of transportation has also increased,” he told IANS while adding that a significant portion of the stock has rotted.
“Customers are unwilling to buy onions at these increased rates,” Tamboli added.
He urged the government to look into the stocks kept by middlemen, alleging hoarding of onions.
“The government should ensure that the traders release the stocks of onions,” he said.
Another onion seller in the state’s Malegaon district echoed the sentiment, saying: “The expected quantity (of onions) isn’t reaching the market. One of the reasons is the gap in monsoon this year, resulting in a delay in the arrival of the new crop…this is why there is an increase in market prices.”
The farmers said that since customers are unwilling to buy the high-priced vegetable, their financial conditions have been badly hit.
Meanwhile, customers also urged the government to take steps so that the onion prices come down.
Speaking to IANS, a woman said: “How will the common man survive with this surge in prices of food items?”
While the ruling NDA said the price hike is “only for a short period”, the Opposition hit back, highlighting the plight of the citizens.
Acknowledging that the situation is difficult for the citizens, JD-U national spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan said: “There are periods when the onion prices sharply go up, but the situation will normalise soon.”
Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh said: “We have also been in government, and whenever such a price rise occurred, the government used laws such as ESMA (Essential Services Maintenance Act) and made efforts to bring the prices down…it is the government’s moral responsibility to ensure that the prices of everyday essentials do not rise, and if prices have risen, they should be brought down.”
Criticising the government, Shiv Sena-UBT leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said: “The Finance Minister once said that I do not eat onions, so what do I have to do with the prices? The entire government is functioning with the same mindset that if sugar or onions become expensive, what does it have to do with them?… The sad part is that people are suffering. Their incomes are not increasing, employment opportunities are not increasing, and their quality of life is not improving, but inflation continues to rise.”
(IANS)
