enizens are braving long queues and hours of wait at Rythu Bazaars to avail onions at subsidised rates to beat the price hike.
Telangana government introduced onions at Rs.20 a kg at Rythu Bazaars earlier this month to provide some respite to the consumer from skyrocketing onion prices which breached Rs. 70 in the open market. However, only the most persistent have been able to avail the lower prices given the large queues that assemble on most days.
“I have been waiting for two hours now for the counters to open. It is possible to do this on a Sunday, but not other days,” said G. Sambaiah, an ice-cream vendor who came to purchase onions at Erragadda Rythu Bazaar on Sunday.
Onion price hike is being attributed to increased purchase price of onion from neighbouring Maharashtra.
“Failed crop in Maharashtra is forcing us to buy onions at Rs. 67 per kg as against Rs. 25 per kg last month. We don’t expect the prices to go down in the near future,” said Venkat Reddy, assistant secretary at the Mahboob Mansion wholesale market.
Two serpentine queues, one for men and the other for women, form at most Rythu Bazaars twice a day when officials begin sale. The distribution is done under CCTV watch to ensure only genuine consumers, who produce their Aadhaar card, benefit. However there are lacunae in the distribution, as consumers themselves reveal.
“I am here with my wife and other family members to avail the subsidy. Officials just write down the Aadhaar card number, but cannot actually verify if two people residing in the same address are buying due to the long queues,” said a middle-aged man, who refused to give his name.
While the government’s subsidy is as a boon for the common man, onion retailers are unhappy.
“We used to sell 50 bags of onions every day until end of last month. Now we would be lucky if we sold 10 bags. Given the price in open market, it seems consumers don’t mind waiting hours standing in long queues,” said Riyaz Ali Khan a retailer at Erragadda Rythu Bazaar.
only the most persistent have been able to avail the lower prices given the large queues that assemble on most days
