TN to Sell Onions at Rs 35 Per Kg Across 8,739 Urban Ration Shops from Sept 3

The Tamil Nadu government will sell onions at a subsidised rate of Rs 35 per kilogram through 8,739 ration shops across urban areas from September 3 to rein in escalating market prices, Food Minister Venkataramanan announced in the state legislative assembly on Monday.

The intervention scheme will cover around 80 lakh family cardholders during its first phase. Under the initiative, each eligible family will be permitted to purchase one kilogram of onions at the subsidised rate. To support this roll-out, the state administration has procured 1,000 tonnes of onions through the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India (NCCF).

Addressing the assembly, the minister noted that onions are currently retailing between Rs 56 and Rs 60 per kilogram in the open market. He attributed the sharp price rise to elevated transportation expenses, adverse weather conditions, and a significant drop in incoming supply consignments from key producing states, namely Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

In addition to the public distribution system's urban fair price shops, the subsidised produce will also be retailed through cooperative wholesale outlets, primary cooperative marketing societies, and Amudham stores located in urban centres. The minister affirmed that the state government is prepared to procure additional supplies if consumer demand requires further intervention.

Venkataramanan stated that the government continues to closely track the price trends of essential commodities across the state. To maintain market stability, the administration has decided to convene its price monitoring committee once every three months. The panel is empowered to recommend timely market interventions through cooperative institutions whenever price surges are observed.