State Marketing Minister Mopidevi Venkata Ramana on Monday claimed that Andhra Pradesh is the only state that has been selling onions at a subsidised price of Rs 25 per kg.
The state has placed indent to the central government for 2,500 metric tonnes of onions from those the centre is importing from Turkey and Egypt, he added.
"Andhra Pradesh is the only state that has been selling onions at a subsidised price of Rs 25 per KG. He added that the state has placed indent to the central government for 2500 metric tonnes of onions from those the centre is importing from Turkey and Egypt," said Ramana.
Marketing minister Mopidevi Venkata Ramana added that the state government has apprehended the situation of onion prices and has been alert since past two months.
"The State government had procured 6,730 quintals in five days from October 27, 2019, to September 2, 2019, and sold in Rythu bazaars at Rs 28 per kg.
"The onion prices started raising all over the country since November 14 this year. The department estimated that this condition will prevail for more than a month, so the state government started procuring onions from then onwards. The government procured 36,536 quintals of onion from November 14 to December 8 at various prices, max of which is Rs 120 per kg. This caused an extra burden of Rs 17.22 Crores on the state exchequer, he explained," said Ramana.
The Government of India is importing onions from Turkey and Egypt and the Government of Andhra Pradesh has placed an indent before the central govt for 2500 metric tonnes, said Mopidevi Venkata Ramana. He further added that the new crop will come by the second week of January, so the problem will be resolved within one and a half month. Meanwhile, the state government will continue to provide onions at a subsidised price of Rs 25 per kg.
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Venkata Ramana flayed opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) for its criticism that the state government could not handle onion crises well. He said that Heritage group shops, which belong to TDP chief N Chandra Babu Naidu, have been selling onions at Rs 135 per kg.
"The government will set up cold storages and preserve onion to avoid such crises in future. He added that the government is procuring onion in the open market by competing with private business persons. The government will hold raids on unauthorized stocks," Ramana said.