New Delhi, Sep.14 (ANI): Food and Consumer Affairs Minister K.V.Thomas on Wednesday said he would go to Mumbai to find a permanent mechanism to bring down the prices of onions, as also to end the ban on onion exports.
Interacting with media after meeting a delegation of Members of Parliament and famers here, Thomas said: "The retail price of onion was going up. Farmers are unhappy with the decision of banning export of onions."
"A delegation of MPS and farmers' leaders came to meet me. We will sit together to review the situation. To find a permanent mechanism, I will go to Mumbai, " Thomas added.
The government is expected to review the decision on banning of onion exports at the next meeting of the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on Food.
Last week, the EGoM, headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, had decided to ban exports to boost domestic supply and control rising retail prices, which have risen to Rs 25/kg in the national capital from Rs 15/kg in the last few weeks.
Thomas said the government was not against farmers and traders, but emphasised that onions should be available to consumers at a reasonable price.
"We can understand the Nasik traders problems. We are not against farmers and traders, the only thinking is people of this country should get onions at a reasonable price," Thomas observed.
All the onion markets in Nasik and in Maharashtra, the country's biggest onion-producing state, have remained closed since September 9 in protest against the export ban.
The minister said the government had taken the precautionary decision to ban onion exports as it did not want prices to escalate to the levels witnessed earlier this year, when onions were selling at rates as high as Rs 80/kg.
Thomas said that cooperatives NAFED and NCCF have started selling onions from their outlets in Delhi at Rs 18/kg. (ANI with inputs)
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