Delhi: AAP govt subsidises onions, bears down on hoarders

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government on Thursday decided to crack down on suspected onion hoarders in the city amid a price spiral of the kitchen mainstay.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government on Thursday decided to crack down on suspected onion hoarders in the city amid a price spiral of the kitchen mainstay.

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The food and supplies department sent six teams to wholesale markets across Delhi to check cases of suspected hoarding that allegedly had pushed up the price of onion.

Sources said the government will take strict action against such hoarders.

The AAP government has been selling onion at Rs 30 a kg at its fair price shops and, keeping in mind the high demand, each person is allowed to buy only a kilo.

“Each team had a food and supplies officer, an inspector and an officer from the Delhi Agriculture and Marketing Board. The teams were asked to check the availability of onions in the wholesale markets and to report about any hoarding or any other illegal activity,” said a government official.

Despite efforts by the state government to control prices, the retail price of onions touched `80 in some parts of the city.

“The wholesale price remained between Rs 40 and Rs 53. But with prices increasing in Nasik, fresh stocks are set to be sold at inflated prices after the new batch of onion trucks reach the city on Friday,” said Anil Malhotra, a member of the Azadpur Mandi Agricultural Produce Market Committee.