Odisha: Districts asked to take action against onion hoarders
BHUBANESWAR: The state government on Sunday directed the district administrations to take stern action against hoarders and black marketeers after getting reports that some traders have resorted to unfair means to exploit the market situation.
“It has come to our notice through media reports that some unscrupulous traders have taken advantage of the situation by hoarding onions in bulk to create an artificial scarcity. Earlier, we had issued instructions to the district authorities to keep a close watch on hoarding and take strong action against those involved in such criminal act,” said Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak.
The minister said rise in price of onion is an all-India phenomenon as there is shortfall in production in major producing states.The price of onion released from the buffer stock maintained by the Centre has also gone up in view of the scarcity of the commodity.“The price of onion will rule high till the arrival of new crop which will take another 15 days to a month. Plantation of rabi onion crop in Odisha has now started and it will take time,” Nayak added.
Even as the Centre has started loading onions from the buffer targeting major markets in states including Odisha where retail prices are significantly higher than the previous month, there is hardly any difference to the consumers who are buying the vegetable at more than `60 a kg.The Centre has started selling onion at major markets of the state through NAFED. The agency is selling onions in major vegetable markets of the city in morning and evening hours.