Captain demands ban on export of onions
Thursday, 10/07/2014
http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=110232&boxid=59268&uid=&dat=2014-07-10
Amritsar: Asserting that the government must take strong measures to prevent hoarding and act against the hoarders, Amritsar MP Capt Amarinder Singh asserted that a deadline must be set for the same. He also sought complete ban on the export of onions saying merely putting these under Essential Commodities Act was not going to serve any purpose.
Initiating the discussion in the Lok Sabha on behalf of his party, Capt Amarinder wanted to know as what had happened in just two months that the prices had gone right through the roof, on an average by 200 per cent. The other reason, he said, was the rise in prices of freight and diesel that had led to increase in the cost of transportation. The Congress Deputy Leader also had a dig at the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for saying that there was nothing to panic about. He said, he found the statement ridiculous. He said, it may not affect five, 10 or 15 people, but it affects 400 million people living below poverty line as does it affect the common man.
Asserting that there must be complete ban on the export of onions, he pointed out, it was surprising that the onions were still being exported. “All you have done is to increase the export price from 300 to 500 USD per tonne”, he said, while adding, “ban is essential and not putting it under Essential Commodities Act”. Exhorting upon the government to act right away, he stressed, “Take measures to stop hoarding, take strict action whatever is necessary against the hoarders so that the common man, the daily wager and the salaried class can get their products at some reasonable rates.
