Under pressure from traders, the city government failed to control the price of onion. Sources say traders refused to sell onions at cheaper rates at a meeting with a Delhi minister, citing the month of Shraaddh and upcoming Navaratri festival when onions are used less in the households. Traders claimed that they will not be able to earn money as after Navratri, the new corps will arrive and the rates will decrease. Onion price has shot up to `80-85 per kg.
“At a meeting with Delhi development minister Rajkumar Chauhan a couple of days back, the traders were asked to curtail the wholesale prices of onion to control the rates in retail market. However, citing the religious months of Shraaddh, started on September 19, upcoming Navratri festival from November 10 and upcoming new corps, scheduled to arrive by November 16-19, the traders refused to cut the prices,” said a source.
According to sources, the traders said that they will not be able to earn money if they curtail the wholesale prices immediately. They said that the usage of onion dips during the period of Shraaddh and it goes down drastically during the period of Navratri, as many households avoid the vegetable for religious reasons. The new corps, which is scheduled to arrive by mid-November, will bring the down the prices of onion.
Under pressure from traders, a community which also participates actively during the Assembly polls, the government is selling onion on higher rates. During the last onion crisis, the government was selling fine quality onion at `45 per kg, but now the rates have been revised to `60 per kg.
Low quality onions are being sold at `50 per kg through five stalls and 150 vehicles in Delhi.
Another reason behind the government’s failure to control the prices is lack of any crackdown on hoarders. After the steep hike in the rate of onion, there has not been a single crackdown reported on the hoarders.
ENDS