PRICEY ONIONS OFF LIMITS FOR AAM ADMI IN BALANGIR Saturday, 14 September 2013 | SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

Dear all

I am posting an old ARTICLE,published in English daily the Pioneer  FOR your perusal

yours

Sudhir Mishra/Bolangir

PRICEY ONIONS OFF LIMITS FOR AAM ADMI IN BALANGIR

Saturday, 14 September 2013 | SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

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Even as time of festivities has set in with the people having already held Ganesh Puja and Nuankhai recently, the inflationary trend of the market has dented the happiness quotient. To run salt in to wound, the recent hike in the price of onion has caused great harassment here.

This year the price of onion has crossed all limits. From Rs30 a kg, it is now being sold at as high as Rs60 per kg.

“I have to purchase onion only for cooking non-veg items. Else, our consumption of the pricy vegetable has been cut down to a great extent.

Already, a single piece of onion now sells at Rs10,” says a worried customer here.

“Today a child had come to purchase onion and four onions weighed 250grams costing Rs15. Before delivering it, I told the child to ask his parents if they could afford it. I don’t want to be accused of cheating kids,” clarifies a shopkeeper here, adding that apparently, unsatisfied with the quantum of onion for Rs15, the child did not return.”

While the salaried class people are hardly affected by rising prices and purchasing the pricy items with less difficulty, it is the working and lower middleclass who are feeling the pinch, say sources.

“Since last two months, we have not consumed onions. We cannot afford consuming it at such a high price. But to cook meat, I am purchasing 250grams only today,” informs another customer.

Ironically, Balangir district produces a large quantity of onions, but thanks to inadequate storage space, forcing onion farmers to go for distress sale, people here have to purchase onion at high prices brought from Nasik in Maharashtra.

This year there has been a drought in Maharashtra affecting its production leading to shortage in supply. Besides, hoarding and other irregularities have shot up the price of onion.

With no sign of fresh arrival of onions, it is sure that people will continue to reel under the impact of high onion price as an added woe to their harsh encounter with an inflationary market, where prices of all commodities, including petroleum products, are remaining unsteady.

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