Soaring onion prices: 45 markets raided to check hoarding

Kolkata: Kolkata Police's Enforcement Branch conducted raids at 45 markets to check hoarding of onions and potatoes, considered to be one of the main causes behind the skyrocketing prices of the two staples after the amendment of the Essential Commodities Act.

In a bid to check hoarding of onions, the state government has issued the West Bengal Onion (Storage Control) Order 2020 as its price has touched nearly Rs 80 per kg.

A separate order has also been issued to check the hoarding of other essential commodities. The orders had to be issued as the state no longer had powers to take any action against hoarding following the amendment of the Essential Commodities Act.

As many as four teams comprising officers of the EB visited markets in the city. Though no major case of hoarding was found and the officers saw potatoes being sold at Rs 38 per kg in most places, the teams of officers who went to Baghajatin Market and Behala market found potatoes being priced at Rs 42 per kg. They immediately took steps to ensure that people are not overcharged.

During their visits, the police also found that onions are getting sold at different rates in different markets. Onions are getting sold at something between Rs 50 and Rs 60 at New Market, Taltala, College Street and Bowbazar market. The same is getting sold at Rs 60 to Rs 70 at Phoolbagan, Rajabazar and Bagmari area. In South Kolkata, people had to buy onions at Rs 70 to Rs 80 at Lansdowne market, Gariahat, Baghajatin and Kasba.