NEW DELHI, Nov 29: Even as rising price of onions bring tears to people, Union Consumer Affairs and Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Wednesday said “it was not in his hands” to bring down the prices immediately.
Onions were selling between Rs 70 and 90 per kilogram and tomatoes for over Rs 60 per kilogram in the retail markets here. Addressing media persons after chairing a meeting with top officials, Mr Paswan said it was a question of “demand and supply” that had triggered the price hike of onions and tomatoes.
Sowing of onions had been lower in onion producing states in 2016-17 over the previous year. Stating the prices of the two commodities were lower in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka, he expressed the hope that the new kharif harvest of onion will temper prices.
The National Agriculture Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) had been asked to procure onions from Maharashtra and Karnataka and the Delhi government had been requested to procure from NAFED and sell through the Public Distribution System, he said. (UNI)
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