Odisha govt asks DCs to crack down on onion hoarders

With members cutting across party lines expressing concern over the abnormal price rise of onions and pulses, the Odisha government on Monday said it has asked district collectors to crack down on hoarders to stabilise prices. "We have been in touch with the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) to procure 200 metric tonnes of onions from its Nasik depot for the consumers in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Balasore, Sambalpur, Berhampur, Rourkelan and Jeypore," food supply and consumer welfare minister Sanjay Dasburma told the Assembly. Dasburma said the department officials have been asked to form special squads and crack down on hoarders and black marketers.

The district collectors have been asked to maintain a strict vigil on the hoarders and implement the Essential Services Act, if required. While Odisha depends on other states for onion and pulses, around 35 percent production has decreased across the state resulting in high rise of the products, the minister said also blaming the climate for less production of onion and pulses in the source states. Terming the onion and pulse price rise as a national phenomenon, Dasburma said the state government has been planning to bring Rs 50 crore from the Price Stabilisation Fund of the central government and use it for market intervention when prices of essential items go up.

Earlier, Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra had ridiculed the state government for remaining silent when the hoarders were exploiting consumers in the market. Ruling BJD members also expressed their concerns over the market situation where onion was being sold at the rate of Rs 60 a kg and Rs 150 per kg of pulses.