The Centre will provide 1,000 metric tonnes of onions to Delhi, which will be sold to consumers at ₹35 per kg through fair price shops and mobile vans across the city, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Tuesday.
The move comes amid concerns over rising onion prices and availability in the national capital. Gupta said the Delhi Government would not allow an onion shortage to develop and was keeping a close watch on the availability and prices of the essential commodity.
The onions supplied by the Centre will be distributed through fair price shops, while one mobile van each will operate in all 13 districts of Delhi to make the subsidised onions accessible to residents in different parts of the city.
According to the Chief Minister’s Office, the mobile vans will move across their respective districts to ensure that people who may have difficulty accessing fair price shops can also purchase onions at the fixed rate of ₹35 per kg.
Gupta said the government’s priority was to ensure adequate availability of essential food items at affordable prices and prevent onions from becoming unaffordable for ordinary consumers.
The Delhi Government said it would take all necessary steps to maintain adequate supplies of onions in the capital and prevent any shortage.
Official statements and context
In remarks reported by the Asian News International (ANI), Gupta reiterated that the Delhi government is closely monitoring onion prices and availability and will not allow any shortage to develop. She said the focus is to ensure that essential food items remain available to people at affordable prices.
To make the subsidised onions more accessible, the government will also deploy one mobile van in each of Delhi’s 13 districts. These vans will move through different areas and sell onions at ₹35 per kg, particularly helping residents who may not have easy access to fair price shops.
According to ANI, the Delhi Chief Minister’s Office said that in the event of further price rises, the government will procure onions and sugar from the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), a central government body, and arrange to make them available at various locations. The Delhi government will bear the cost of transportation and other related expenses.
The Tribune reported that mobile vans will move across districts to ensure access for those who may have difficulty reaching fair price shops.
Background
Earlier, on August 25, a review meeting on the availability and prices of onions and sugar in Delhi was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. The meeting noted that there is currently no shortage of onions or sugar in the capital, a point also reported by ANI. However, if prices rise further, the Delhi government will ensure that residents do not have to bear the additional burden.
This in itself is a development that could offer some reassurance to consumers who have faced volatility in onion prices over the years.