The enforcement team of Sadar subdivision and Food department again on Tuesday resumed their drive against hoarding of essential food items and vegetables, specially to control the soaring prices of onions across markets of the capital city and take appropriate legal action against errant traders.

But, the Onion prices touched Rs 60 a kilogram in a number of retail markets across Agartala on Tuesday.

Official sources said that hoarding by a section of traders despite adequate stocks, especially to control the prices of onion, the authorities of SDM (Sadar) has also served notices to few wholesale traders of onions at Maharajganj market for taking extra prices on onion. The enforcement team on Tuesday has also sealed a government fair price shop (ration shop)  for missing 34 quintal rice stock and a wholesale onion shop for illegally taking extra price on wholesale onion rate.

While the minimum price of onions in the retail markets in Agartala is Rs 60 a kilogram, in certain markets located in the city it is being sold at Rs 65 a kilogram.

The Sadar sub divisional team led by Subdivisional Food controller, Pradip Kumar Bhowmik  on Tuesday continued their raids in both wholesale and retail markets of MG Bazar and found many discrepancies.

The task force members have started taking precautionary measures to control the prices. Accompanied by the police, they have started visiting different retail stalls, asking the sellers to maintain the price of onions within a reasonable range.

The skyrocketing price of onions is due to a section of traders as there are sufficient stocks in all markets of the city, said Bhowmik and appealed to the customers to verify the rates of onion before purchasing by visiting numbers of shops. He also said that some traders alleged that large quantities of onions are being smuggled to Bangladesh, which has created an artificial crisis in markets of Agartala.

The state has to depend in a major way for supply from Nasik in Maharashtra, but at present huge quantities of fresh onion stock are available in the city , said Bhowmik.

However, he admitted that high prices of onion in the retail markets and it is because some middlemen and hoarders are artificially jacking up the price and the administration have served notices to some wholesale traders and if they did not rectify, then administration will take necessary action under Essential Commodity Act, said Bhowmik.

The Food department authorities said that their regular drives in all major markets of the state capital with the teams of Sadar-SDM and Legal Meteorology department to check the prices of all essential commodities has been continued.

But, some traders are also selling onions at much higher prices, which will not be tolerated and the government once again issued strict warnings. They hoped that within the next few days, the prices will come down and people will get some relief.

The authorities have requested the traders to maintain the prices and should avoid any kind of hoarding of essential items.