Debroy smells scam in onion imports after price rise
RANCHI: Eminent economist and Niti Aayog member Bibek Debroy on Tuesday blamed the government’s control on export and import of onions for the untamed price spiral of the vegetable. He said the decision taken by the previous government needs to be corrected as the problem persists year after year.
Since over a decade, prices of onion have been rising alarmingly during monsoon months. Onions are being sold at ` 80 in the retail markets nearly in all major cities.
Experts have in the past argued that the crisis of onions in successive years leading to its spiraling prices is deliberately created and that there is a scam in the whole process of importing onions through State owned trading agency National Agriculture Cooperative Marketing Federation of India .
Debroy said, “It seems the decision to import onions only after its prices shoot is aimed at benefitting few traders. Let there be no curbs on the import and export of the vegetable anytime of the year. I am sure if the regulation on the trading is lifted, the prices will never be this exorbitant.”
He declined that hoarding was in any way responsible for onion price rise. Jharkhand is worse affected by the abrupt price rise of the vegetable as it has negligible production and there are no cold storages to preserve vegetables. When ex-chief minister Arjun Munda was asked if he supports lifting of the regulation on import and export of onions. He said, “It’s a policy decision.”