NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, OCT 21
The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday launched sale of onions through its farm fresh outlets at a subsidised cost of Rs 45 a kilo in the wake of the commodity’s spiralling price and said 150 tons were being procured.
வெங்காயம் கிலோ ரூ.130!
நெல்மணிகள் நனைந்து விவசாயிகளும், #OnionPrice-ஆல் தாய்மார்களும் கண்ணீர் விட களிநடம் போடுகிறது அதிமுக அரசு!
வேளாண் சட்டங்களால் பதுக்கல் அதிகமாகும்; விலை ஏறும்!
வெங்காயத்திலும் ஊழல் வேண்டாம்! அனைவருக்கும், நியாய விலையில் வெங்காயம் கிடைக்க நடவடிக்கை தேவை! pic.twitter.com/m9ESefKyQE
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) October 21, 2020
The DMK, meanwhile, alleged that hoarding was behind the price rise and asked the AIADMK government to not implement the Centre’s three farm laws in Tamil Nadu. Launching the sale, Minister for Cooperation Sellur K Raju said onion would be available at the rate of Rs 45 a kilo at the state-run farm fresh outlets, including mobile shops.
Subsequently, efforts would be taken to extend the onion sale through Public Distribution System shops as well after studying the market dynamics, he said.
The retail prices of onion in Tamil Nadu has crossed Rs 100. Raju told reporters that the government has entered into an agreement with the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED) of India for procurement of more than 150 tonnes of onion and “we will get adequate quantity of onions,” Raju told reporters.
Factors like rains have led to the price rise and this was not unusual as such a scenario was witnessed even during the previous DMK regime, he said. He ruled out any scope for hoarding onions.
In 2009 and 2010, the price of onion touched Rs 110 a kilo, he claimed and added that despite the price rise, the then DMK government did not take any measures at that time to intervene and lower it.
Stalin, in a statement, alleged that hoarding was behind the rise in price of onion. The AIADMK government should not implement the three farm laws recently passed by the Centre in Tamil Nadu, he said. He demanded that the government take steps on a “war footing” to make onion available at reasonable prices to all.
