Already facing flak for the high prices of pulses —red gram ( tur ) and black gram ( urad) — the government on Tuesday moved for damage control on the steadily rising prices of onions and tomatoes in the retail market, saying the the increases were “temporary.”
To review the situation, the Cabinet Secretary has convened a meeting of senior officials of concerned departments on Wednesday. The meeting will look into the pulses de-hoarding operations by States and the procurement of fresh arrivals to ensure a buffer stock.
While the price of onions in the retail markets has shot up to Rs. 40 per kg, tomatoes are priced around Rs. 60 per kg in Delhi’s markets.
It is expected that with the arrival of the new crop and improved weather conditions in south India, normal supplies will be resumed and prices will moderate.
“Marginal increase in the prices of onions and tomatoes in the past week is largely due to disruption of supplies from the southern States which have witnessed severe, unprecedented rainfall over the last one week. These increases are expected to be temporary and normal supplies should resume soon,’’ an official press note said on Tuesday.
The government is working closely with States to ensure that quick action is taken to prevent any abnormal increase in prices and to ensure adequate availability of essential commodities, official sources said.
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