Dikshit alleges hoarding of onions in MP, Maha

With onion prices remaining at Rs 90 a kg, a worried Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, facing assembly polls in six weeks, today blamed hoarding of the kitchen staple in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra and rains in number of states for escalating rates and asked the opposition not to politicise the issue.
Exhorting traders in Delhi not to make profit from selling onions, Dikshit said she would meet Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Food Minister K V Thomas tomorrow to seek their intervention in bringing down price of the bulb which is selling at even Rs 100 a kg in some areas in Delhi.

"I will seek intervention of the Centre in bringing down the rates of onion when I meet Sharad Pawar and K V Thomas," Dikshit said.
The Chief Minister said traders have agreed to sell onions through 55 mobile vans across the city at reasonable price from tomorrow.
Accusing opposition parties of politicising the issue, she said no one should try to gain political mileage from it when people are being hurt by the high prices.
On BJP's criticism of the government on the issue, Dikshit even went on to say that going by the price of onion under BJP rule in Delhi 15 years ago, it should have "risen to Rs 400 per kg" now.

Observing that market forces determine the rates, Dikshit said onion was selling at an average rate of Rs 83 per kg across the country.

"Average rate of onion across the country today is Rs 83 per kg. Onion is selling at this rate even in onion growing states. Delhi is not an agricultural state. The price does not depend on us," she said.
"The supply has been affected due to hoarding of onion in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra," she said while denying reports
of any hoarding in Delhi. The city gets supply of onion from a number of states, including Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister Harun Yusuf yesterday had accused the the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh of hoarding onions in the state to create an artificial shortage in the national capital so that the saffron party can benefit from its high price in December 4 assembly polls.