Kakinada: Subsidised onions vanish from Rythu Bazaars

Kakinada: Unruly scenes were witnessed at Rythu Bazaars in East Godavari district on Sunday as there were no stocks of subsidised onions. People have been waiting in long queues to get one kg of onions supplied at subsidized price of Rs 40 a kg at Rytu Bazaars here. Onion price in open market soared to Rs 80 per kg. People who had turned up to buy cheap onions were irate and had to settle for onions costing Rs 80 per kg. The consumers are not following the Covid-19 norms in the Rythu Bazaars.

People have been waiting in long queues to get onions supplied at price of Rs 40 a-kg at Rythu Bazaars here. There is a severe shortage of onions at present and a kilo of onions is being sold at Rs 80 to 90 in local markets. The price soared by almost double in the past fifteen days was attributed to heavy rains in AP and other states.

Rythu Bazar Estate Officer T Venkat Rajan informed that daily 2,500 to 3,000 consumers have been purchasing onions in the Rythu Bazaars in Kakinada. He said that till now they have supplied the entire stock to the people. He said that there is no stock of the subsidized onions in Rythu Bazaars. He said that the price of the onions is fluctuating and hence it takes time for getting the stock and fix the price. The prices of the onion are likely to decrease and the full details will be made available in two or three days.

Marketing officials said that the new crop of onions will be harvested within two or three months. Small hotels and tiffin centres are not dared to sell Onion Dosa and they deleted it from their menu card.

He said that as per the instructions of Collector, they are selling onions at subsidised price in the counters.

Kanduri Jagadeeswari , a resident said that she is unable to stand in the long queues for hours together to purchase the onions. Moreover, they are getting low quality onions in the rythu bazaar, she lamented.