Sheila Dikshit meets Sharad Pawar over soaring onion prices

New Delhi, Oct 24: Delhi Chief Minister

Thursday met Agriculture Minister

and asked him to take measures to contain the soaring onion prices.

Delhi government has blamed unprecedented rains and hoarding by BJP-ruled states

During the meeting at which Food and Civil Supplies Minister K.V Thomas was also present, Dikshit requested Pawar to instruct the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation to make onions available in Delhi on a no-profit, no-loss basis.

The chief minister also told Pawar the Delhi government was trying to procure onions from major producers like Maharashtra.

According to the Delhi government, the Delhi Chief Election Officer is being approached for permission to resume market intervention to stabilise prices.

This is being done because the model code of conduct is in place and the government cannot take any policy decision.

Onion prices in Delhi have touched Rs.100 per kg. Assembly elections are scheduled Dec 4.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have attacked the Congress government in Delhi for its "failure" to contain prices.

The Delhi government has blamed unprecedented rains and hoarding by BJP-ruled states like Madhya Pradesh for the spiralling onion prices.

Escalating onion prices was one of the factors for the BJP's defeat in the 1998 Delhi assembly elections. Since then, the saffron party has failed to return to power in the state.

IANS