2
NATIONAL 20 THE HINDUI NOIDA/DEL HI, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14,2013 NEW DELHI: Priced between Rs. 60 and Rs. 80 per kilogram in several parts of the country, onions are bringing tears to housewives. Concerned at the problem, the Committee of Secretaries is meeting here on Wednesday to take steps — including a crack down on hoarders — to ease the situation. Onion produce in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka was damaged due to excessive rain, which alsodelayed their arrivals. Mandi dispatches from the onion-producing districts of Lasalgaon and Pi- malgaon in Nasi k, Maharash- tra have been lower by 40 and 27 per cent between April and July this year on account of the inclement weather. The officials, headed by Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth, will also look at measures to enhance availability of on- ions, possibly includinga nod for duty free imports. Thomas, Pawar meet On Tuesday, Minister of State for Food and Consum- er Affairs K.V. Thomas spoke to Agriculture Minister Sha- rad Pawar on the issue. The government is closely monitoring the situation be- fore deciding on allowing du- ty free imports on government account. Although there is a short- fall of about 8.56 lakh tonnes in the production of the bulb this ye ar compar ed to last year, there is no immediate move to ban exports orset an export price to dissuade traders. But there is a suspicion that onions are being hoard- ed by traders and even big farmers for speculation. In 2012-13, India exported 18.23 lakh tonnes of onions compared to 15.53 lakh tonnes during 2011-12. Normally, onion prices tend t o rise betwe en Sep- tember and November as the stored onion stocks get de- pleted by August, Septem- ber. Once the rabi stocks arrive the situation normalises. Declining market arrivals Compared to last year, this year market arrivals de- clined by up to 40 per cent during June and July due to creation of “artificial scarci- ty,” sources in the Food Min- istry sources said. For instance, the modal price of the commodity in Lasalgaon on August 1 was Rs. 2401 per quintal. It shot up to Rs. 4300 per quintal on August 12. The country has a stock of about 9 lakh tonnes of on- ions, which should help it tide over the situation till the next kharif crop arrives in the beginning of October. However, if prices continue to rise, we will have to en- hance availability, Mr. Tho- mas told The Hindu. In 2011, the Centre had sold subsi- dised onions through its Nafed outlets. CoS me et in g to wipe onion tears Gargi Parsai SOARING PRICES ĭ NEW DELHI: Setting at rest speculation about a rethink on the formation of Telanga- na, Finance Minister P. Chi- dambaram on Monday told Rajya Sabha that “the gov- ernment will take on board all views, including concerns on status of Hyderabad, be- fore taking a decision on how to take forward the process.” He, however, declined to give a timeline saying the process will be taken for- ward in accordance with the Constitution and past practices. The Minister, standing in for an indisposed Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, was responding to clarifications sought by members on a statement made by him on the subject earlier. He repeated the statement when Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley said he was as confused at the end of the discussion as he was in the beginning as to whether there was going to be Telangana State or not. The House was divided on the issue with parties such as the BJP, CPI, BSP, JD (U) supporting the formation of Telangana and the SP, CPI-M, AIADMK and some others opposing it. Rejecting the opposition allegation that the decision was taken in haste and the government was playing a “dangerous game”, Mr. Chi- dambaram said, “Every po- litical party's view will be kept in mind before the gov- ernment takes a decision on how to take forward the process of the formation of the State of Telangana formation.” ‘Process of Telangana formation will be taken forward’ Gargi Parsai KOLKATA:Even as the Darjeel- ing hills wore a deserted look on the first day of the “janata curfew” called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) in support of its Gorkhaland demand on Tuesday, the party leader- ship announced that the Gorkhaland Territorial Ad- ministration ( GTA) would be “repealed soon.” “In an all-party meeting yesterday we decided that the GTA should be repealed soon. It was a unanimous decision taken by all par- ties,” GJM president Bimal Gurung posted on a social networking site. Referring to the State gov- ernment’s letter asking the GTA sabha members to choose a chief executive of the regional autonomous council within three days (from August 10) or else it would appoint its own per- son to the post, he asked the people in the hills: “Do we want the chief executive from the State or someone from our own community?” “The issue of the GTA and its chief executive is only for a limited period and our fi- nal goal is Gorkhaland,” Mr. Gurung, who had resigned as the chief executive of GTA on July 30, said, adding that the “agitation” for their Statehood demand would continue from August 19. Though the GJM leader- ship had called for a three- day relaxation of the indefi- nite strike from August 16 after a day of it being lifted on Independence Day, its decision on the GTA would have a bearing on the future course of the movement. The party leadership along with other regional group- ing and representatives of the Congress and the BJP who endorsed the GJM’s call for a separate State would be meeting again on August 16 to decide on the matter. GTA to be repealed soon, says GJM Shiv Sahay Singh
