BJP sniffs an onion price scam

Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay said that the State government had bought 2,637 metric tonnes of onion at an average price of Rs.16 but sold it at Rs. 30 per kg.— File Photo

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday attacked the Aam Aadmi Party government over an ‘onion price scam’. The party alleged that the Delhi government sold onions at twice the rate of its procurement.

The party sought clarification from the AAP Government on the issue which it claimed was disclosed by a NAFED Director. On this, Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay said that the Delhi government through the Small Farmer Agri Business Consortium bought 2637 metric tonnes of onion between 17 May and 17 June at an average price of Rs.16 but sold it first at Rs. 40 and later at Rs. 30 per kg.

"Even if all overhead freight and storage costs are lavishly added, still the onions costing Rs. 21 a kg were sold at almost double the rate," he said.

He further demanded that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal must order a probe into the issue.

"It is a matter of shame that the Kejriwal Government sold onions double of the purchase price to the people of Delhi and earned a profit of crores. The miseries of the poor have been exploited."

Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta said, "The Delhi Government never revealed it had such a heavy stock of onions which helped private traders to continue to keep the onion prices at double the rate of the government onion prices. There appears to be a nefarious connivance between Kejriwal Government and private traders."