Ram Vilas Paswan asks states to curb hoarding

NEW DELHI: Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan has asked state governments to enforce stock limit on onions and strengthen anti-hoarding drive to ensure its availability at affordable rates. Government officials, however, feel that prices would continue to remain firm for the next one month till the domestic and import supplies pick up.

After reviewing the situation at a high-level meeting with the officials from the Department of Consumer Affairs and Department of Agriculture, Paswan said that he has directed officers to take quick action to bring the prices under control. He also said that the passage of could have helped control onion prices. “There is only five lakh tonnes production shortfall in the country.

Hoarders get active when there is a production fall. The state governments should take action against them to control prices,” said Paswan. As per the consumer affairs ministry, the prices have been rising on account of a decline in total production from 189.23 lakh tonnes in 2014-15. The shortfall has primarily been on account of adverse weather conditions.