Even as the common man is hard hit by the sky-rocketing onion prices, the BJP on Wednesday resorted to a novel way of protest, selling onion at Rs 10 per kg to the people from an outlet at Buxi Bazaar here.
Led by former minister Samir Dey, the BJP workers doled out onions at 500 gm per person while attacking both the State and the Central governments for failing to control the prices of the essential commodity. They claimed to have distributed onions among more than 300 persons during the day.
Onion is the most staple commodity for the poor people of the State. “They can make their day with a bowl of Pakhala (fermented rice), a pinch of salt and a piece of onion. The prices of onion have now gone beyond the reach of even better-off sections”, Dey said.
Lashing out at Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, he said the BJD Government had not done enough to control the price rise. The fair price shops opened by the Government for providing onions to people at subsidised prices are just an eyewash as they could not even meet a fraction of the requirement.
While law and order machinery in the State has collapsed, corruption, crime and atrocities against women are on the rise.The BJD Government is now depriving the poor people of even a square meal, he said.
Meanwhile, the Cuttack administration stated that around 34 fair price shops, including four Maitree outlets and 30 Antodaya shops, had been opened for supplying onions to the people at subsidised prices. The onions were being sold between Rs 45 and Rs 48, depending on the prevailing prices in the open market, Collector Girish SN said.