Shillong, October 31: The prices of onions in Kolkata have surged, doubling within just one week, with the vegetable now being sold at Rs 75-80 per kilogram in retail markets. A mere week ago, the rates ranged from Rs 35 to Rs 40 per kilogram.
As per IANS, this sudden price increase has baffled even the members of the state government’s task force, responsible for maintaining the prices of essential commodities in retail markets. It is believed that a combination of reduced supply and a sudden surge in demand during the last two weeks, driven by the festive season, may be the cause behind this significant price hike.
The task force members are concerned that there may not be much relief in onion prices during the current month and anticipate the possibility of further increases in price due to upcoming festivals like Kali Puja, Diwali, and Bhai Fota (Bhai Dooj).
State government sources suggest that the government may intervene to control onion prices in retail markets by releasing its own stock of the product. Both the task force members and the Enforcement Branch (EB) of the state police have been instructed to closely monitor retail markets to prevent any attempts to artificially inflate onion and other vegetable prices.