ONION prices touched the politically-sensitive Rs 100-a-kg mark in several places across the country on Tuesday (October 22), forcing the federal government to ask all state governments to come down heavily on hoarders.
The government also hinted at banning exports to contain the spiraling prices of onion, which is being sold at around Rs. 80-90/kg in most parts of the country including the national capital.
The sky-high prices of onion have given the opposition a potent weapon to attack the government with.
“We have enough onion stock in the country. The state governments must act firmly against hoarders who are hoarding onions leading to the artificial scarcity and sharp escalation of prices,” commerce minister Anand Sharma told reporters in Delhi.
In places like Srinagar, Bhopal and Patna, prices rose to as high as Rs. 100 per kg while in most other places it was being sold for anything between Rs. 70-80 per kg.
The only exception appeared to be Chandigarh and other places of Punjab where prices have come down to Rs. 30-Rs 50 per kg.
Sharma, however, said that prices of the essential commodity are expected to stabilise with arrival of fresh produce in the coming days and late kharif crop in December.
