Govt rushes to control onion price
New Delhi, Oct 23: In a move to control the price of Onion, the government has imposed stock limit on the onions with effect from November 23.
The stock limit imposed is 25MT for whole sellers and 2MT for retailers up to December 31.
The government has stepped up disposal of onion from the buffer stock.
Further, Onions are also being disposed off through Open Market Sales.This will be stepped up further to bring down the price rise.
An estimated KharifCrop of 37 LMT is also likely to start arriving in the Mandis that will add to the availability of Onions.
To additionally ensure availability of onions in the Mandis, the government has taken steps to facilitate import of onion and on 21.10.2020, the government has relaxed the conditions for fumigation and additional declaration on Phytosanitary Certificate under the Plant Quarantine Order, 2003 for import upto December 15, 2020.
The Indian High Commissions in the relevant countries arealready contacting the traders for ensuring greater imports of onions to the country. Such consignments of imported onions, which arrive on Indian ports, through land or sea, without fumigation and endorsement to that effect on the PSC, would be fumigated in India by the importer through an accredited treatment provider.
Such consignments after fumigation would be released with no additional inspection fee and an undertaking will be obtained from the importers that the onion will be use only for consumption and not for propagation. Such consignments of onions for consumption will not be subjected to four times additional inspection fee on account of non compliance of conditions of import under the PQ order, 2003.
Apart from facilitating the import by the private traders, it has also been decided that MMTC would start importing of red onions to meet the demand supply gap.
Requisite action under the Prevention of Blackmarketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act, 1980 would be taken to prevent any hoarding, black marketing of Onions by unscrupulous elements.
