Skyrocketing price of onions make the Modi government cry like UPA before them

The Modi government at the center is faced with the same problem of skyrocketing prices of onions as the previous governments and, while mouthing words like ‘achhe din’, the leaders have no answer but to go in for imports. In 2013, the very same BJP had agitated against high onion prices when the UPA was in power!!
Governments may change but the sufferings of the common man will remain.
The price of onion has shot up by Rs 10-15 in the past one week in Delhi, and there has been similar spike in prices in Mumbai and other cities. The government has, therefore, asked the state-owned MMTC to import 10,000 tonnes of onions immediately.
The commerce ministry has also been asked to consider increasing the minimum export price (MEP) of onion to ensure that export of onion remains suspended during the crisis period.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 19 August 2015.

During June-July about 60,000 tonnes of onions are usually exported from India. Following increase in the wholesale prices in June, directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT) had increased the MEP for onions to $425 a tonne for all varieties from $250.
Government is eyeing import of onions from overseas markets such as Pakistan, Egypt and China. Meanwhile, traders from Punjab have started importing onions in small quantities from Afghanistan through the Attari-Wagah land route.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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