Delhiites will get relief from rising onion prices, Kanda Express will run for the first time

New Delhi : Onion prices in the country are seen touching the sky these days. In this context, the government has made a plan to provide relief to the people of Delhi. To control onion prices in the coming festive season, for the first time, 1,600 tonnes of onion is being transported from Maharashtra to Delhi through railways through buffer stop. This is going to be the first time that railways have been used for onions.

Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare on Thursday announced that the special train named 'Kanda Express' will depart from Lasalgaon railway station in Maharashtra and reach Delhi's Kishanganj railway station on October 20. The government hopes that this supply will help stabilize prices in the Delhi-National Capital Region or NCR, where onion from the buffer stock is currently being sold at an affordable rate of Rs 35 per kg. At present the retail prices of onion have reached Rs 75 per kg in various cities. “This is a historic initiative,” Khare said.

Onion will be auctioned at current market rates

He said similar arrangements would be made in Lucknow, Varanasi and north-eastern states including Assam, Nagaland and Manipur. The government is also in talks with logistics company Concorde for 'sealed container' transportation to reduce losses. To reduce wholesale prices, onion will be auctioned at current market rates. The Secretary said that this decision is a cost-effective and efficient measure.

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Number of mobile vans increased

He said that transportation of one train i.e. equivalent to 56 trucks from Nashik to Delhi costs Rs 70.20 lakh by rail, while the cost by road is Rs 84 lakh. Thus, there is a saving of Rs 13.80 lakh per train. From September 5, the government will sell the stored onions at concessional rates through various means including mobile vans, National Cooperative Consumer Federation of India (NCCF) and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) shops, e-commerce platform, Mother Dairy's Safal shops and central stores. Is selling. Stepping up its action to bring down retail prices, the number of 'mobile vans' will be increased from 600 to 1,000 before Diwali.

Onions sent to different states

The Secretary said that out of 4.7 lakh tonnes of onion in the buffer stock, 91,960 tonnes have been allocated to NCCF and NAFED. Whereas 86,000 tonnes have been sent to various states including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa, Rajasthan, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Manipur. With these measures and the expected arrival of fresh crop from Maharashtra, the government is optimistic about price stabilization. The average purchase price of onion from storage is Rs 28 per kg. NCCF Managing Director Anis Joseph Chandra, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs Anupam Mishra and other officials were present in the press conference.

(with agency input)