CHENNAI: Minister for Food and Civil Supplies P Venkataramanan on Tuesday said onions would be sold through urban ration shops from September 3 at Rs 35 per kg.
"Around 80 lakh ration card holders in urban areas will benefit," he said. The Minister made a suo motu statement during Zero Hour, saying the government had decided to procure 1,000 metric tonnes of onions through the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation and the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India.
"Due to the increase in transportation charges amid the war in Iraq, onion prices have increased. Supplies from Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have also declined. In Tamil Nadu, one kilogram of onions is currently being sold at Rs 56 to Rs 60," he said.
He added that the government had decided to convene the Price Monitoring Committee every three months, adding that it had been convened only twice during the DMK regime.
Meanwhile, the second 'Kanda Express ', a dedicated railway rake carrying 840 tonnes of onions from the buffer stock, reached Chennai on August 31, the Consumer Affairs Ministry said on Tuesday.
The onions are expected to be distributed across various districts of Tamil Nadu, the ministry said in a statement. This follows the central government's calibrated release of onion buffer stocks under a hybrid transportation model that combines railway rakes (Kanda Express) and road transport to ensure adequate availability and to check seasonal price pressures. Both Kanda Express consignments were dispatched from Nashik, the country's onion hub. Alongside rail transport, around 1,000 tonnes of onions are being transported by road to major consumption centres, in line with prevailing market conditions and price trends, to improve availability and moderate prices.
The government maintained 1.21 lakh tonnes of onions in its buffer stock for the current year. Prices have declined since the day after disposal began, with further supplies expected to support price stability.
The ministry added that robust security measures have been put in place to prevent leakage and address security concerns during the movement and disposal of large quantities of onions via railway rakes.