Don't Resort to Panic Buying of Onion, Appeals AAP Government

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party government today assured the people that Fair Price Shops have enough stock, and will continue to sell onions at Rs 30 per kilogram till prices stabilise, appealing to Delhiites not to resort to panic buying, as prices of the vegetable has gone as high as Rs 70 per kilogram in some areas of the city.

Gopal Rai, development minister said, "the state government will continue selling onions at Rs 30/kg at Fair Price Shops and through mobile vans till prices stabilize in open markets and at the national level." 

Mr Rai and Food & Civil Supplies Minister, Asim Ahmed Khan held review meetings on the availability and price situation after media reports surfaced that onion was in short supply at government shops. The meeting was attended by senior officials of the two ministries, Delhi Traffic Police, Small Farmers Agri-Business Consortium (SFAC) and the Food Commissioner.

The government claims that around 1,000 tonne of onion is available in open market, which is the same quantity as last year. But when NDTV visited the government shops, there were long queues outside the mobile shop at the Delhi Secretariat.

"This is the only shop selling onions, we've been to some many fair price shops, no one has anything" said one resident

The government has also written to their Maharashtra counterparts for smooth supply of onions in 25 mobile shops along with the 280 fair price shops from Monday. The shortage created during the week was due to security measures for August 15 that led to trucks being held up outside Delhi.

"From now on, Delhi Traffic Police will be provided details of trucks carrying onions from Nasik, moment these trucks begin movement from there so that these trucks do not face any problem at entry points of the national capital"

Mr Rai has directed concerned officials to convene a meeting of wholesalers at the earliest to ensure there is no hoarding of onions in Delhi.