New Delhi:
The AAP on Saturday blamed an “unholy nexus” between BJP and black marketeers and hoarders for the sharp increase in onion prices and asked the Centre why it was not taking steps to reduce the inflation.
AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh also asked the Centre the reason behind selling onion to Delhi government at a higher rate when NAFED, the apex organisation of marketing cooperatives for agricultural produce, has proposed a subsidised price.
He said the Union minister in charge of food and public distribution department, Ram Vilas Paswan, must tell the public what kind of nexus they have with black marketeers and hoarders.
Struggling to cool prices amid a soaring demand, the Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi has sought Centre’s help to make onions available at subsidised rates. The Delhi government has claimed that NAFED has proposed to sell onions at Rs. 60 per kg in the city.
Singh blamed the Centre for the “annual furore” over onion prices in the country and claimed it is directly responsible for this “onion chaos” and “disorganized state of affairs.”
There is an alleged nexus between BJP and black marketeers and hoarders, he said.
“This unholy nexus has led to the increase of onion prices across the country. Delhi government was selling onion at Rs. 23.90 per kg. But to stop this, the central government increased the rate of onion from Rs. 15 per kg to Rs. 60 per kg, while 32,000 tonnes of onion rotted away in government godowns,” he said.
“The Centre is responsible for paucity of onions that happens every year,” Singh said.
He asked why is the Delhi government being sold onion at a high rate of Rs. 60 per kg.
“When a farmer goes to sell his onion in the market, he gets Rs. 2-3 per kg for his produce. The hoarders and black marketeers buy onion at this price. Hoard the stock and later sell it at a premium of Rs. 100 per kg when the stock goes down. This is possible only because the black marketeers get support from the Centre,” he said.
He added that when there’s a need to stock up, the central government prefers to export.
“And when this leads to shortage of onion in the domestic market. It directly benefits the black marketeers and hoarders. This system is conveniently being run together by the central government and the black marketeers,” he said.
