Onion traders call off strike, prices to dip in a week (Second Lead)

NEW DELHI - The wholesale onion traders of the city called off their strike Wednesday and claimed, along with Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, that the bulb’s prices would come under control within a week.

“I have met the traders and the prices of onions will come down quite substantially because their crops would be arriving mid-January,” Dikshit told reporters.

The traders met Dikshit and called off their strike, which began Tuesday afternoon, on the assurance that their premises would not be raided by the authorities.

The traders were peeved at Income Tax sleuths raiding their storehouses Monday and accusing them of hoarding onions. The government is defaming us by terming us as hoarders and cheaters. On top of it, they are raiding us. This is like adding insult to injury, the Chamber of Azadpur Fruits and Vegetables Traders said earlier.

Rajan Sharma, general secretary of the chamber, told IANS: The CM (chief minister) has assured us that we will not face any problems and onions in large volumes would be brought to the mandi (market) to control the prices and meet the demand.

She also asked us to procure as many onions as possible and sell them at reasonable rates to ease some pressure on prices. The situation is expected to come under control within a week, Sharma added.

Onion prices shot up across the country after crops in Nashik in Maharashtra were spoilt due to untimely heavy rains. The authorities are now trying to nail any possible hoarding which may further aggravate prices.

The IT department last week conducted similar search operations in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and few other states.

The wholesale prices of onion are ruling at around Rs.40-47 per kg while the retail price is around Rs.60 per kg in the national capital.