Eknath Shinde Confident of Relief for Onion Growers

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday expressed confidence that a positive solution on issues faced by onion growers would emerge from a meeting convened by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Onion cultivators have demanded a Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 3,000 for the bulb, Rs 1,500 per quintal subsidy for produce which has been sold, rollback of the export ban, and a detailed and impartial inquiry into the corruption in the onion procurement by the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED).

Shinde said onion growers would not be abandoned.

The Centre and the Maharashtra governments are working in coordination to provide relief to growers. Onion procurement centres had already been started, and onions were currently being procured at Rs 15.80 per kg, Shinde told reporters in Mumbai.

He said appropriate decisions will be taken in the meeting with Shah on Wednesday, and farmers will get relief.

Shinde said the demonstrations staged by the Opposition on the onion issue are mainly intended to attract publicity and media attention.

He alleged that the erstwhile Congress-led UPA government had failed to provide any relief when prices skyrocketed.

The Centre and Maharashtra governments stand firmly with farmers. All possible efforts are being made to prevent losses to onion growers, the Deputy Chief Minister added.

(With inputs from agencies.)