The Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today reviewed the steps to check price rise of essential commodities, including potatoes and onions in Delhi. The meeting was attended by the Lieutenant Governor Shri Najeeb Jung, Union Home Secretary Shri Anil Goswami and senior officers of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD).
During the meeting following decisions were taken:
•To ensure availability of onions and potatoes at reasonable rates, Delhi Government to increase the strength of Mobile Vans from the current strength of 60 to 200 for selling onions and potatoes at Minimum Possible Price.
•Sale of onions and potatoes by opening shops within 200 Government Premises in next 2 weeks and ultimately taking the figure to 300. Presently sale of onions and potatoes have been started from 40 Government Premises since yesterday.
•Delhi Government to fix stock limits for wholesalers and retailers regarding onions and potatoes to check and prevent Hoarding.
•As a drive against Hoarding by traders, 540 raids were conducted by Delhi Administration on July 1, 2014 on a single day and 1082 Premises have been raided in the last one month. The Home Minister has directed that this Drive Against Hoarding should be continued to provide maximum relief to the general public.
•It was informed in the meeting that as compared to July 2013, prices of onions and potatoes in July 2014 are almost comparable. To be precise, onions were Re. 1/kg. cheaper than the corresponding period last year and potato prices are more by Re. 1/kg as compared to last year on these days.
•MHA to take up the matter with NAFED for smooth and enhanced procurement of onions and potatoes for Delhi Government at best possible rates.
•Instructions were issued to officials of Delhi Government to immediately finalise an Action Plan of procurement of onions between July 15, 2014 to September 15, 2014 which happens to be the lean period for availability of onions to ensure availability of onions at a reasonable rate during this lean period.
•Delhi Government to launch intensive awareness drive for general public asking them to procure potatoes and onions from 300 shops being opened within Government Premises and also Government Mobile Vans whose numbers are being increased from 60 to 200 at the earliest possible.