Onion traders call off strike after Delhi govt's intervention

Wholesale onion traders in Delhi withdrew their strike today after talks with chief minister Sheila Dikshit. The chief minsiter said that the onion prices would come down in two to three days.

Wholesale onion traders in Delhi withdrew their strike on Wednesday after talks with chief minister Sheila Dikshit.

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Dikshit said onion prices would come down within two to three days.

The traders were peeved at being held responsible for the rising price of the commodity and had gone on indefinite strike, saying raids by the authorities to counter hoarding are only adding insult to injury.

Raids were carried out across Delhi, including the wholesale vegetable market at Azadpur Mandi and its suburbs, on Monday by the Income Tax department as part of a nationwide crackdown against hoarding of onions in a bid to curb its shooting prices.

Onion prices shot up across the country after crops in Nashik in Maharashtra were spoilt due to untimely heavy rains. The authorities are now trying to nail any possible hoarding which may further aggravate prices.

The I-T department last week conducted similar search operations in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and few other states.

The wholesale price of onion is ruling at around Rs 40-47 per kg while the retail price is around Rs 60 per kg in the national capital.

(With PTI and IANS input)