Quantity, price for PDS shop supply yet to be decided

“We have requested 500 tonnes of onions from National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) and the Centre has agreed to send in three instalments of 200, 200 and 100 tonnes but we have not yet received the vegetable and so we have not yet fixed the quantum and price of onions to be sold in ration shops,” said Madhumathi, Secretary (in-charge), Co-operation, Food and Consumer Protection Department.

After the price of onions skyrocketed, the State government announced that onions would be procured through NAFED and would be sold in ration shops without any profit. Ministers Sellur K Raju and R Kamaraj said that once the vegetable starts arriving and is sold through ration shops, the prices will cool down in another 15 or 20 days.

However, there was ambiguity on the quantum of onions to be given to each ration card and the price at which the vegetable will be sold. “The price of onions fixed by NAFED varies on a daily basis and so the price of the vegetable cannot be fixed. However, the price would be far less when compared to the retail market,” said Madhumathi.

Further, Madhumathi saidthat the onions would be initially sold in ration shops located in urban areas.

“There are more than 34,000 ration shops across the State and the onions would not be sufficient for supplying to all the ration shops. So, the initial consignment of 200 tonnes would be supplied only to 7,000 ration shops located inmajor cities and Corporations,” she added.