Onion price hike: Centre expands Rs 35/kg sale to 19 cities amid supply concerns
The Indian government has expanded its subsidized onion sales to 19 cities, offering the vegetable at Rs 35 per kg to combat rising retail prices caused by recent crop damage. Mobile vans and fair price shops are being utilized to ensure supply reaches consumers.
Why it matters
Onion prices are a sensitive political issue in India, often serving as a barometer for food inflation and government economic management.
The Centre has widened its discounted onion sale to 19 cities, offering onions at Rs 35 per kg as prices rise following crop damage caused by rains in recent weeks.Delhi is among the cities covered by the intervention, with the Centre set to provide 1,000 metric tonnes of onions to the capital. The onions will be sold to consumers at Rs 35 per kg through fair price shops and mobile vans across all 13 districts, Delhi CM Rekha Gupta said on Tuesday.The mobile vans are aimed at taking affordable onions to areas where people may find it difficult to access fair price shops. Similar sales are being offered through mobile vans in Lucknow, Varanasi and Jaipur, while consumers in Noida can buy the onions through NCCF outlets and mobile vans.The intervention comes as onions are currently selling at around Rs 50-60 per kg in Delhi's retail markets.
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