Mumbai: Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has expressed concern over the rising onion prices and has instructed the departments of marketing and food civil supplies to take strict action against hoarding by traders.
According to the Centre’s price monitoring cell, the retail price of onions should be around Rs 60 per kg. However, in cities like Mumbai and Pune, prices have surged to Rs 100 per kg. Shinde said that the government has set stock limits for both small and large onion traders. However, some traders are found to be hoarding, which is driving up the prices. He has therefore directed stringent measures against such traders under the Essential Commodities Act and the Black Market Prevention and Smooth Supply of Essential Commodities Act.
He has also urged citizens to report cases of excessive onion stock in their local areas to the food supply office or the district collector’s office. The government has also announced a grant of Rs350 per quintal for onion producers, and said that dissemination is already underway. For this initiative, the government has allocated a budget of Rs 851.67 crore, he said.
