Chhattisgarh CM writes to PM Modi over hike in prices of onions

The increasing price of vegetables has lead to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel writing a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take stock of the situation and try to even the demand and supply in order to balance the prices. 

WATCH: INC Workers Protest Over Increasing Onion Prices

Balance the demand and supply

CM Baghel, in the letter, wrote, "Due to the sudden and massive price rise of pulses, tomatoes, onions and products of daily use in the open market, the common people of the nation have to suffer everyday. Specifically, it has become immensely difficult for the poor section of the society to continue their everyday life. With reference to the Chhattisgarh Essential Commodities Act (Licensing and Hoarding Restriction) 2019, the maximum stock limit decided for onion wholesalers is fixed at 500 quintals and 100 quintals for commission agents. He added that his state, in particular, needs to import onion fo meet demands. He added, "Due to increase in demand and wholesale prices of onion in these states also, it has resulted in the price of onion simultaneously increasing since the month of August. Similarly, prices for tomato also fluctuate unexpectedly from time to time".

On Thursday, the Delhi government requested the Centre to resume supplying the kitchen staple and make it available to Delhi at Rs 15.60 per kg instead of Rs 60 as conveyed to the AAP dispensation. 

Watch: Tears In Store For Common Man As Onion Prices Skyrocket In Ahmedabad

In a letter to Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, Delhi Food and Civil Supplies Minister Imran Hussain said a government should not be seen as making profit motive over an essential commodity. Hussain alleged that the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) has stopped the supply of onion, saying it will be able to make it available to the Delhi government after procuring from the markets in Alwar and later from the stock of onions to be imported from Egypt. 

(with inputs from ANI)

WATCH: Locals React To Sky-high Onion Prices In Bengaluru

READ: Madhya Pradesh: Truck Carrying Onions Worth Rs 20 Lakh Found Empty