3 days ago
Rotten Onions At Lasalgaon Godown Raise Storage Questions
The government bought many onions to help keep prices from rising too much.
Some of these onions were stored in a warehouse in Lasalgaon.
Reports say a large amount of the stored onions became rotten and attracted worms and maggots.
The spoiled onions also created a very bad smell and leaking liquid.
Workers are separating the good onions from the bad ones.
Meanwhile, onion prices in some big cities have reportedly reached Rs 60 to Rs 70 per kilogram.
The government is sending onions from its reserve stock to cities such as Chennai, Delhi and Kolkata.
People are asking for an investigation into how the onions were stored and how much money may have been lost.
Onions bought under the government procurement drive have reportedly rotted at a Central Warehousing Corporation godown in Lasalgaon.
The damaged stock was reportedly infested with worms and maggots, while foul-smelling liquid flowed from the godown.
About 1.20 lakh tonnes of onions were purchased during the three-and-a-half-month campaign at Rs 1,235 to Rs 2,345 per quintal.
The government is sending buffer-stock onions to major cities as retail prices reportedly reach Rs 60 to Rs 70 per kilogram.
A special freight train carrying up to 800 tonnes of onions left Manmad for Chennai on August 28.
- Who
- The Central Government, NAFED, the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India and the Central Warehousing Corporation are involved in the procurement, storage and distribution effort.
- What
- Government-purchased onions reportedly rotted at a Lasalgaon warehouse, while other buffer-stock onions were dispatched to cities to help control prices.
- Where
- The reported spoilage occurred at a Central Warehousing Corporation godown on Manmad Road in Lasalgaon, Nashik district; the train departed from Manmad for Chennai.
- When
- Procurement began on May 15; a special train departed on August 28 after a three-and-a-half-month procurement campaign.
- Why
- The procurement and distribution drive was intended to build buffer stocks and stabilize onion prices.
Government Price-Stabilization Response
Storage and Accountability Concerns
Purpose of the onion stock
Government Price-Stabilization Response
The government is procuring and distributing onions to increase supplies in major markets and help curb rising prices.
Storage and Accountability Concerns
Critics question the effectiveness of the program if a portion of the stock is deteriorating inside warehouses before reaching consumers.
Handling of damaged onions
Government Price-Stabilization Response
Workers are reportedly segregating usable onions, while buffer stock is being dispatched to cities including Delhi, Guwahati, Chennai, Kolkata and Kochi.
Storage and Accountability Concerns
There are demands for an immediate inquiry into the quantity damaged, storage precautions, financial losses and possible negligence.
Key facts
- Procurement agencies
- NAFED and the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India
- Funding mechanism
- Price Stabilisation Fund
- Quantity purchased
- Around 1.20 lakh tonnes
- Purchase price
- Rs 1,235 to Rs 2,345 per quintal
- Reported retail price
- Rs 60 to Rs 70 per kilogram in major metropolitan cities
- Reported storage problem
- Rotten onions, worms, maggots, foul smells and dark liquid were reported at the Lasalgaon godown
- Chennai shipment
- A special freight train carried up to 800 tonnes of onions from Manmad to Chennai
Sources
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