Avoid panic buying: Delhi govt tells people over soaring onion prices

New Delhi, Aug 21: Concerned over rising prices of onions, Delhi government today appealed to people to not indulge in "panic buying" as sufficient stock was available and said it will continue selling the vegetable at Rs 30 per kg at Fair Price Shops and through mobile vans.

At a meeting, Development Minister Gopal Rai and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Asim Ahmed Khan today reviewed the availability of onions and price situation in the national capital.

The meeting was attended by senior officials of the two ministries, Delhi Traffic Police, Small Farmers Agri-Business Consortium (SFAC) and the Food Commissioner.

According to the government, around 1,000 tonnes of onions are available in open market, which is the same quantity available during this time last year. Rai has directed the officials to convene a meeting of wholesalers at the earliest to ensure there is no hoarding of onions in Delhi.

"If the stock availability is same as last year in the open market, then there are gaps which need to be filled to ensure that prices do not keep going up in the open market," Rai said.

Teams of Food and Civil Supplies Department have been directed to conduct surprise checks at Fair Price Shops to make sure that people are getting the Rs 30 per kg onions and nobody is allowed to buy above the specified quantity.

The SFAC has informed that it is supplying good quality onions to the largest retail chain SAFAL for selling onions at a reasonable price.

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

The cascading effect of rising wholesale prices reflected in the retail market, as onions are being sold at Rs 80 in some of the posh localities in the city.

PTI