As arrivals of onion continued to remain sparse across the State, serpentine queues were witnessed in several Rythu Bazaars, leaving customers fuming.
Consumers vied with one another to buy onion that was sold at a subsidised rate of Rs. 20 a kg. As vendors in open markets were charging anything between Rs. 60 and Rs. 90, depending on the size and quality, consumers had no choice but to head to the Rythu Bazaars to buy the commodity. However, a majority of them had to return empty handed, as stocks vanished.
At the Eluru Rythu Bazaar, people stood in queues for more than an hour to register their names along with their Aadhaar card numbers and get a token for purchasing 2 kg of the commodity for Rs. 20 a kg. “It’s a nightmare to purchase onion in Eluru. Braving heat, we are standing in queue for hours and buying it,” a consumer said.
Eluru Market Committee chairman K. Ramprasad said onion had been supplied to more than one lakh families since July 30.
Aadhaar mandatory
“We have made Aadhaar card mandatory to prevent black marketers from purchasing the commodity in bulk quantities,” he said, adding that the administration was taking steps to supply onion in a systematic manner.
In Vijayawada, heavy rush was witnessed at the Swaraj Maidan Rythu Bazaar soon after people came to know that two truckloads of onion had arrived.
Almost all counters were packed to the brim with customers.
“We sold over 312 bags of onion on Wednesday. We are coordinating with officials in the Kurnool Market yard to get additional stock,” Estate Officer M. Srinivasa Sastri said.
In Anantapur, the home district of Civil Supplies Minister Paritala Sunitha, officials ensured sufficient supply of onion in Rythu Bazaars. The price of the commodity in the open market was hovering between Rs. 45 and Rs. 50.
Meanwhile, the government has directed Civil Supplies Department officials to buy 600 metric tonnes of onion instead of 400 metric tonnes, keeping in view the rising demand.
We have made Aadhaar card mandatory to prevent black marketers from purchasing onion in bulk quantities.K. Ramprasad, Chairman, Eluru Market Committee
