Kejriwal flags off 70 mobile vans to sell onions at Rs 23.90 per kg in Delhi, BJP says black market in full steam
NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal flagged off a fleet of vans on Saturday for providing onions at a subsidised rate to the people, promoting the BJP to claim that the Delhi government has made arrangements only to sell but not to stop black marketing of the key kitchen staple.
Onions will be sold at Rs 23.90 per kilo at 400 ration shops across the city. Onions are currently priced Rs 60-80 per kilo in the retail market in Delhi.
At Azadpur Mandi, the wholesale price has gone up to Rs 60 per kg, the highest since 2015.
“One person can get a maximum of five kg of onions. The sale of onions will be held from 10 am to 5 pm. No identification proofs are required to purchase onions from the FPSs,” the government said in a statement.
After flagging off the vehicles outside the Delhi Secretariat, Kejriwal said that after first five days, the procurement of onion stocks will be reviewed as per the requirement.
“One mobile van each will be taken by the MLAs to their constituencies for covering all 70 Assembly constituencies.”
Two government officials will visit Nagpur to examine the quality of onions and to ensure supply of good quality onions to the national capital.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly Vijender Gupta claimed chaos started soon after Kejriwal flagged off the vehicles.
He added that to meet the shortage of onions, the Union government is supplying onions to Delhi at Rs 15.90 per kg. “But here also the Kejriwal government is selling these onions to the people at Rs 24 per kg... The Delhi government is profiteering instead of providing subsidy to make onions cheap for the people.”
There is every possibility of black marketing as the government has taken no steps to prevent it, Gupta said.
“Why did this government not take timely steps to overcome shortage of onion supply? Onions are selling in Delhi at Rs 80 per kg due to negligence of the government, and the poor are being forced to shed tears.”