Cabinet Secretary reviews issue of Onion Prices in the Country

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : Union Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on December 2, 2019, chaired a meeting of the Committee of Secretaries to review the issue of rising prices of Onions across the country. In a video conference held with the Chief Secretaries of the 11 major onion producing states, the Cabinet Secretary was briefed about the various steps being taken by the States to tackle the rising prices of Onions.

Chief Secretaries from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana participated in the video conference. The Cabinet Secretary directed the States that the overall availability of the Onions has to be beefed up, considering the temporary shortage, to stabilise the prices. The Centre has already taken a decision on not allowing the export of Onions during the current season. The States were further directed to maintain considerable buffer stocks, impose stock limits on traders, and to ensure strict action against hoarding, according to a PIB release.

Gauba said that the Union Government has approved the import of 11,000 Metric Tonnes of onions from November 29, 2019,  to tide over the situation. The deliveries are expected from the last week of December, 2019, he said. This is in addition to the decision of the Government to import 6,090 Metric Tonnes of Onions from Egypt on November 22, 2019. The deliveries are expected from 2^nd Week of December.The Cabinet Secretary directed the States to utilise their Food and Civil Supply Departments to procure and distribute Onions at reasonable prices.

Secretary, Ministry of Consumer Affairs; Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare; Secretary, Food & Public Distribution, along with other senior officials of Government of India also attended the meeting.