Haryana starts drive against onion hoarding

The special drive aims at keeping a check on increasing prices of onions

After the Centre asked states to act tough against hoarders in the wake of soaring onion prices, Haryana government today announced to launch a special drive to prevent hoarding of the edible bulb in the state to keep a check on its prices.

"Haryana Food and Supplies Department has decided to launch a special drive to prevent hoarding of onions so to ensure supply of onions in the market as per the demand. The special drive is aimed at keeping a check on increasing prices of onions," an official spokesperson of the Department said here.

If any whole seller or retailer is found indulged in hoarding of onions, action would be initiated against him under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, he said.

Yesterday, Commerce Minister Anand Sharma had said: "We have enough onion stock in the country. The state governments must act firmly against hoarders who are hoarding onions which has led to the artificial scarcity and sharp escalation of prices."

He said all District Food and Supply Controllers have been directed to check the stock of whole sellers or retailers.

Hoarding of onions by whole sellers could be one reason for its increasing price and in this regard, this decision has been taken, he said.

According to the Haryana Prevention of Hoarding and Maintenance of Quality Order, 1977, any whole seller or retailer could not refuse to sell articles which is available with him.

He said as per the order, no whole seller or retailer would, without sufficient cause, refuse to sell to retailer or consumer as the case maybe, any article which is in stock with him, even if the maximum quantitative limits have not been fixed for the said dealer or consumer, he said.

He said that all District Food and Supply Controllers have been directed to keep a check on whole sellers and retailers in coordination with concerned Deputy Commissioners so as to prevent hoarding of onions.