Show your Aadhar & get onion for ₹25/kg at Jalandhar govt store

JALANDHAR: As skyrocketing onion prices bring tears to consumers across the country, Punjab’s first National Cooperative Consumers Federation of India (NCCF) retail outlet, which opened in Jalandhar’s Maqsudan mandi on Monday, is offering the kitchen staple at a subsidised rate of Rs 25/kg. Currently, the rate of onion in the open market is Rs 60-80/kg.

All you have to do is show your Aadhar card at the NCCF retail outlet to avail of the subsidy. However, there are some conditions: Each household is entitled to only 4kg onion in one go. A fresh stock can be purchased from the outlet at subsidised rate after four days.

The NCCF, set up under the Union ministry of consumers affairs, food and public distribution, procures vegetables in advance and provides it to consumers during supply shortage so they don’t have to bear the brunt of exorbitant prices.

NCCF Chandigarh branch manager Deepak Y Singh said, “Punjab’s first such retail outlet has been opened in Jalandhar. Soon, such shops will come up in Amritsar and Ludhiana districts as well. We will also be launching eight mobile vans, which will move in different locations in these three districts to provide onion stock to people.”

EACH HOUSEHOLD ENTITLED TO ONLY 4KG ONION IN ONE GO, FRESH STOCK CAN BE PURCHASED AFTER FOUR DAYS

The scheme is, however, only available for consumers. Vendors and shopkeepers cannot purchase onion from NCCF.

“Providing vegetables to vendors and shopkeepers would defeat the purpose as it will lead to black marketeering, which would further take up the prices,” Deepak said.

Meanwhile, the NCCF outlet in Maqsudan saw a huge rush through the day. Balwinder Singh, one of the consumers who waited for over an hour to get onion at slashed rates, said, “This is a step in the right direction. It will give people some relief from skyrocketing vegetable prices.”