File photo: Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung
New Delhi:
Taking a cue from the Centre, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung today swung into action and announced a slew of measures to ensure the availability of onions and potatoes at cheaper prices.
Mr Jung chaired a high-level meeting to preview the prices of the two vegetables, whose soaring prices have emerged as the top-most concern of the Narendra Modi government. In the absence of a duly-elected government in Delhi, the Lt. Governor has been shouldering the responsibility of administering the capital.
The National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited or (NAFED), a statement by the Lieutenant Governor's officer later said, had been asked to purchase additional quantities of onion. The agency has a capacity to store 300-400 tonnes of onion.
SAFAL, the fruits and vegetable retailing arm of Mother Dairy, has been instructed to double the stocks of onions and potatoes. They can store and sell some 120 metric tonnes of onions and potatoes through their 380 retail outlets spread all across Delhi. The civic agencies, in addition, will launch 60-70 mobile vans to sell the two vegetables.
The Lieutenant Governor has also asked the civic authorities and the police to crack down on hoarders to prevent speculative pricing.
Higher potato and onion prices pushed up food inflation to 9.50 per cent in May from 8.64 percent in April, setting alarm bells ringing in the Modi government. A meeting chaired by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley last night unveiled a series of steps to check down prices of 4-5 food commodities.
Potato prices jumped 19 per cent in May. Onion prices have been hit because of a strike in Nashik, one of the country's biggest onion markets. 45 per cent of onion produce comes from the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka and if supplied from these two key states are hit, onion prices tend to rise.
Mr Jung chaired a high-level meeting to preview the prices of the two vegetables, whose soaring prices have emerged as the top-most concern of the Narendra Modi government. In the absence of a duly-elected government in Delhi, the Lt. Governor has been shouldering the responsibility of administering the capital.
The National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited or (NAFED), a statement by the Lieutenant Governor's officer later said, had been asked to purchase additional quantities of onion. The agency has a capacity to store 300-400 tonnes of onion.
SAFAL, the fruits and vegetable retailing arm of Mother Dairy, has been instructed to double the stocks of onions and potatoes. They can store and sell some 120 metric tonnes of onions and potatoes through their 380 retail outlets spread all across Delhi. The civic agencies, in addition, will launch 60-70 mobile vans to sell the two vegetables.
The Lieutenant Governor has also asked the civic authorities and the police to crack down on hoarders to prevent speculative pricing.
Higher potato and onion prices pushed up food inflation to 9.50 per cent in May from 8.64 percent in April, setting alarm bells ringing in the Modi government. A meeting chaired by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley last night unveiled a series of steps to check down prices of 4-5 food commodities.
Potato prices jumped 19 per cent in May. Onion prices have been hit because of a strike in Nashik, one of the country's biggest onion markets. 45 per cent of onion produce comes from the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka and if supplied from these two key states are hit, onion prices tend to rise.
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