Yusuf: No scarcity of onions, will act against hoarders

In a bid to control the soaring prices of onion and other vegetables in the election year, the city government on Friday decided to conduct raids against hoarders and asked retail traders to sell the vegetable at reasonable rates. Delhi food and civil supply minister Haroon Yusuf, after a meeting with representatives of wholesale fruits and vegetable markets and officials of his department, said the government has decided to come down hard against hoarders of onion. “Against a daily demand of 400 tones, we are getting supply of 1,000 tonnes of onion. There is no scarcity of onion in Delhi. Currently we have a stock of 2,000 tonnes. The retail traders have increased the rates,” he said. The city government maintained that there was no shortage in onion supply in the city even as prices have increased to '40 per kg in the retail market against '20 per kg a month back. Traders said the prices of onion have gone up due to two-and-half year high rates in the Maharashtra’s wholesale market on account of tight supply. In the Mother Dairy’s Safal outlets, which have more than 400 stores in the NCR, onions are being sold at '36-37 per kg while local vendors are charging '40 per kg. Mr Yusuf said that the supply of vegetables in Delhi is more than enough and the government will take strict actions against those who are indulge in black-marketing of onion and tomato.