Kolkata: The state government has issued the West Bengal Onion (Storage Control) Order 2020, to check hoarding of onions. The move has been taken to check further the skyrocketing of onion prices that touched nearly Rs 80 per kg in the retail market.
According to a senior officer a separate order has also been issued to check the hoarding of other essential commodities as well.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has also raised her voice against the Centre for abnormal increase in prices of onion and potato after the Centre amended the Essential Commodities Act.
The order had to be issued as the state no longer had power to take any action against hoarding following amendment of the Essential Commodities Act.
It has been stated that wholesalers and retailers would not be allowed to stock more than 25 metric tonne and 2 metric tonne of onion at a time. Parwez Ahmad Siddiqui, secretary of the state Food and Supplies department, said: "Order has been issued so that no hoarding and black marketing is made and nobody can indulge in undue profiting."
It may be mentioned that the whole sale market price of onion at present is Rs 55 while in retail it is Rs 75 to Rs 80 per kg. As the difference is unexpected, strict measures will be taken to check the same, sources said. Enforcement agencies are also keeping an eye on the prices of
potatoes.
It has been stated that the objective of issuing the order is to ensure that no dealer or retailer or wholesaler withholds the sale of onions ordinarily kept for sale and the enforcement authorities will now undertake an anti hoarding drive.