West Bengal government to reduce onion prices

KOLKATA: With the price of onion in the open market decreasing marginally, the West Bengal government too has decided to reduce the price of onion which is being sold at the different government-run fair-price outlets.

A proposal in this regard was mooted at the meeting of the state government-constituted task force to control prices of food items in the retail market, at Nabanna, the state's administrative headquarter, which was accepted by the chief minister Mamata Banerjee who chaired the meeting.

The state government is now selling onion at the rate of Rs 50 a kg at the government-run fair -price outlets. This rate will probably come down to Rs 45 a kg. The reduced price would be applicable within another couple of days.

Last year too, the state government had set up fair price shops to sell potatoes and other vegetables at a subsidised price, when the prices had gone up due to stockpiling.