Amid onion crisis, Mamata makes surprise visit to Kolkata market

Mamata Banerjee gave a surprise visit to Jadubabur Bazar near her residence. She spoke to the shopkeepers and locals to enquire about the prices of vegetables.

Kolkata:West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made a surprise visit on Monday to a market in south Kolkata's Bhawanipore area and enquired about supplies of vegetables and their prices, amid the ongoing onion crisis.

She visited Jadubabur Bazar near her residence, before leaving for Kharagpur in Paschim Medinipur district to attend a programme, and spoke to shopkeepers and locals about vegetables' prices.

"What are the prices you are selling potatoes and onions? Wherefrom are you getting supplies of the vegetables such as potatoes and onions?" Banerjee asked the shopkeepers. She also asked them if they were getting the onions that the state government was selling through Sufal Bangla stores at Rs 59 per kg.

The state government is selling onions at Rs 59 a kg through 935 fair price shops in the city, beside Sufal Bangla stores, with each family getting a maximum of 1 kg on producing ration cards.

The retail price of onions was at Rs 164 per kg in the city on Monday, according to market sources.