With Prices Skyrocketing, Onion Possession Invites Robbery In Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal

With prices skyrocketing, two cases of onion robbery have surfaced from West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh respectively. Around 20 kg onion was allegedly looted from a state-run store in Bengal’s Birbhum district while in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur, two bike-borne miscreants looted 50 kgs of bulb from a rickshaw puller.

Birbhum incident happened at a Sufal Bangla store where onions are provided at subsidised price. The shopkeeper alleged that as sale of onions began in the morning, a large number of people gathered in front of the store, during which the loot took place.

West Bengal government has started making onions available at Rs 59 a kg through fair price shops and Sufal Bangla stores. Under this scheme, each family gets a maximum of 1 kg on producing ration cards.

The second onion robbery took place when the rickshaw puller was going to deliver the onions to a hotel. The onions had been bought from the shop of a Feroz Ahmad Raen, who has lodged a complaint in the matter, the police said.

“We found out that before the rickshaw puller started from the shop, Feroze had an altercation with another person over the price of onions. The shopkeeper has given a written complaint to the police post incharge but the FIR will be lodged only after investigation,” PTI quotes Circle Officer, Kotwali, V P Singh as saying.

As per market sources, retail price of onions has touched Rs 164 per kg mark in West Bengal. Moreover, onion prices have risen to as much as Rs 200 per kg mark and traders are of the view that prices will not be down by even the end of this month.

(With PTI inputs)