Bhubaneswar/Cuttack: Skyrocketing onion prices have forced Saraswati, a daily labourer, and her family to leave the kitchen staple which used to be a must with ‘pakhala’. Now the traditional meal is eaten with green chillies and baras, since they are the cheaper options.
The hike in onion’s price has left not only Saraswati but many other customers teary-eyed as prices touched Rs 100 per kilogram in the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.
Prices have risen sharply since May this year, caused by delayed arrival of the new crop and damage to the harvested crop in the main onion-growing states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. The cyclones, unseasonal low pressure induced rainfall had a huge impact on the onion cultivation in Odisha.
To mitigate the burden of the consumers, the State Government brought in the Fair Price Shops across 16 districts where onions and other vegetables could be bought at an affordable price. The price of onion at Malkangiri district in this scheme was the lowest with Rs 50 per kilogram with prices at other districts hovering at 60-70.
The Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare department was keeping an eye on the whole situation and conducting raids on hoarders and unscrupulous traders.
Speaking to OMMCOM NEWS, consumers expressed their anguish at a sharp increase in prices of not just onions but potatoes and other vegetables.
