In order to check the exorbitant prices of onion across the state, the Food and Civil Supplies department of the Tripura government in association with Wholesale potatoes and onion traders of Maharajganj Bazar, opened an fair price counter and selling onion at the rate of Rs. 55 per kilogram.

On Friday morning, the Director of the Food department Nirmal Adhikari along with wholesale traders and authorities of SDM(Sadar) opened the fair price  onion counter at MG Bazar and started selling of onion at Rs. 55 per kg, whereas it has been now selling across the state at Rs. 70 to 80, have shot up from Rs 30 per kg to Rs 80 per kg over the last few weeks.

Later, speaking with media persons the director of Food department Nirmal Adhikari said that  fair price shops for onions were opened at Maharajganj Bazar in Agartala city, where consumers can purchase at Rs 55 per kg and those buying over 5 kg can get it at Rs 51 per kg.

 He said that the fair price shop was started by the local market committee in association with Food department and similar 6 to 7 outlets are being opened in other markets across Agartala and they will purchase the onion at Rs. 51 per kg from MG Bazar fair price shop and will sale it to the customers at Rs. 55 per kg.

He hoped that this will check the inflation and customers will get some relief. Adhikary also said that prices of onion have risen at the sources in different ‘Mandis’ Nashik and other parts of Maharashtra.

The traders of Tripura are purchased from outside the state and an increase in prices at the origin markets, like ones in Nashik, in turn leads to an increase of prices in Tripura also.

Adhikari further stated that strict measures would be taken against traders illegally hoarding onions or charging more than the government rate and no traders will allow taking price of onion at Rs. 55 a kg and if any such complaint receives by the department, then the government will take strict action against errant traders.

He said that the restriction on price of onions and fair price shops will continue till the situation becomes normal.

It may be recalled here that in continuation of the drive against hoarding of essential food items and vegetables, specially to control the soaring prices of onions across markets of the capital city, the authorities of Sadar (SDM) and the Food and Civil Supply department had conducted their raids in many markets of Agartala and take appropriate legal action against errant traders during past few days. But, the Onion prices keep soaring and it touched Rs 70 to 80 a kilogram in a number of retail markets across Agartala.