Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, August 3: Amid spiraling of onion prices, state food supply minister Sanjay Das Burma said while the prices of the essential commodity were stable at wholesale markets, they were being sold at high prices in the retail market.
With onion prices reaching `50 in parts of the state, the food supply and consumer welfare (FSCW) department held talks with trader bodies to regulate market price.
“Even if the prices are stable in the wholesale market, traders are selling it for a high price in the retail market. Steps are being taken to crack down on such hoarders and unscrupulous traders,” the FSCW minister said.
FSCW secretary Madhusudan Padhi said: “We have asked all traders body not to provide onions to any traders without receipts, and have also asked not to sell onions at a profit margin of more than `4.”
“It would be mandatory for traders to produce the price receipts of their onion procurement during inspection,” Padhi said.
Till Sunday, onion prices touched Rs 45 to Rs 50 in various parts of the state.
Traders blamed the price rise on the short supply. The state is currently dependent on Nasik in Maharastra to meet its onion need.
Bhubaneswar Unit-I market general secretary Gayadhar Swain had earlier said prices were likely to keep rising until fresh batches of the kitchen commodity start arriving in the market.
While it is being said that the onion price is on a rising trend mainly because of loss of crop in key producing areas due to unseasonal rain, city traders say until the new crop arrives in the market, it would be difficult to regulate the market price.
Onion from two major states such as Maharashtra and Karnataka will start arriving towards September-end and November-end respectively.
Meanwhile, amid short supply, the FSCW department has decided to procure onion through NAFED to meet market demand, the FSCW secretary informed.