Ministers for bringing down onion price

Hyderabad, July 10 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Marketing Minister M Mareppa and Civil Supplies Minister K Venkata Krishna Reddy literally turned onion vendors to please women who were upset with the increasing price of the vegetables in the open market.

Procuring onions from Bangalore, Hubli in Karnataka and Nasik in Maharashtra, to bring down price, the two Ministers sold onions in a farmers' market this evening for just Rs seven per kg as against Rs 14, in the open market.

Mr Reddy said Rs 1.30 crore was earmarked for procurment of onions from neighbouring states at an average cost of Rs 11.21 per kg for distribution in the entire state at a subsidised rate.

The Markfed had procured 3,500 quintals of redgram for distribution through the ''Rythu Bazars'' at Rs 31 per kg, while the State Oilfed made available 850 tonnes of palm oil at Rs 46.50 per litre through ''Rythu Bazars'' and Public Distribution Outlets, Mr Mareppa said.

Andhra Pradesh Rice Millers Association had come forward to supply the common rice at Rs 10 per kg in the mill premises and at Rs 10.50 per kg in ''Rythu Bazars'' and fine rice at Rs 15 per kg in mill premises and Rs 15.50 in ''Ryuthu Bazars'', they said.

Price of tomatoes which soared upto Rs 30 per kg in the July first week had come down to Rs 14 to Rs 18 with the Marketing department intervening in the market by selling 327 quintals through the ''Rythu Bazars'' in, among other cities, Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Mahabubnagar.

UNI