AAP smells ‘irregularities’ in NAFED onion purchases

The party also questioned the non-inclusion of Delhi in the NAFED list of cities which were to benefit from the onion supply scheme at reasonable prices. 

“NAFED had claimed to have procured 2,500 tonnes of onions using the Price Stabilisation Fund, stored in Lasalgaon and <g data-gr-id="32">Pimpalgaon,</g> when prices were low,” the party said in a statement. But the onions procured were never released into the market, it said. “Not only has NAFED committed irregularities in procurement of onions and misused the onion PSF scheme, but the Central government has itself asked the NAFED to cancel a global tender it had planned to float for import of onions,” AAP said.

“The Central govt has instead asked Metals and Minerals Trading Corporation (MMTC) to import 10,000 tonnes of onions to tame the rising prices,” the statement added. AAP also asked the Union Agriculture Ministry to immediately step in and ensure that NAFED releases the onions procured by it into the market, to bring down the prices of onions.

Meanwhile, wholesale onion prices on Saturday rose to Rs 57 per kg at Lasalgaon in Maharashtra, Asia’s biggest onion market, which could further spike retail prices in most parts of the country adding to consumers’ woes.

But there is also something to cheer about. The latest arrival of 84 tonnes of imported onions from Egypt at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Nhava Sheva on Saturday has come as a respite among the traders as it will help to check the escalating prices of the bulb.

“On Saturday morning three containers filled with the imported Egyptian onions arrived at JNPT. These will soon be dispatched to wholesale traders in Navi Mumbai, Pune, Nashik and also in parts of south India. The customs also quickly cleared the consignment, as we all are aware of the onion crisis in the country today,” said the customs clearing agent, Sachin Kubal. He added that another 50 containers of onions from Egypt are still at sea and will soon be arriving at JNPT by next week.