New Delhi: Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh on Monday wrote to Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan demanding an explanation on the "unjustified and unexplained" skyrocketing of onion prices.
"The Centre was asleep and this gives rise to a reasonable apprehension that 32,000 tonnes of onions have been shown as rotten only on paper and there is a big scam behind this entire episode," he said in the letter.
Singh said the entire nation is shocked that the Centre allowed such a huge quantity to be wasted.
Singh said the wastage of 32,000 tonnes of onion shows extreme callousness on part of the central government at a time when the people of the country are facing an acute shortage of onions due to which the prices are skyrocketing.
"The central government allowed such a huge quantity to rot in its godowns. This huge quantity could have easily removed the shortage across the country and would have also kept the onion prices under control," he said.
Calling the wastage a "clear case of gross criminal negligence", Singh asked if any action been taken against the officers who were responsible for the procurement and maintenance of the quality of these procured onions.
"You have also stated that the production of onions has reduced this year, so when it was known to you, why no efforts were made well in time to import onions at affordable prices? Can the Centre show a single letter that it tried to import onions well in time to avert the crisis in the country," Singh said.
He further asked that why did the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ministry abruptly stopped the supply of onions to the Delhi government which had made a requisition well in time for this supply till December 9 to sell onions to Delhiites at affordable prices.
"Why does your ministry harbour such a feeling against state governments that you allowed onions to rot in your godowns but you did not supply these to the states," he asked.
"It is beyond any reasonable understanding that on what basis did your ministry on September 5 wrote to states that the Centre has a stock of 56,000 metric tonnes which can be supplied to states to be sold at a reasonable price? The Delhi government made a request for supply of 10 trucks of onions every day, however, not more than two-three trucks daily were made available to Delhi and this supply too was abruptly terminated on November 24. Where and how did the stock of 56,000 metric tonnes disappear," Singh added.
Also read: NCR-based real estate group admits having Rs 3,000cr blackmoney during I-T raid
