PANAJI: Reacting to criticism over the quality of subsidised onions being sold at fair price shops (FPS), civil supplies minister Govind Gaude on Monday said that the state government will discontinue the scheme if people do not want it.
“Everybody is appreciating the efforts of the state government for providing subsidised onions. If a few people are criticising the government then I can say it is politically motivated, but if some people are criticising the government then we will stop the sale,” he said.
Gaude also said that the state government did not start this scheme with any vested interest but on public demand.
“Even after providing onions at a lower cost, if people are criticising the government then I can say it is politically motivated,” Gaude said.
The civil supplies minister said that FPS owners have started the sale of subsidised of onions and have demanded that the balance sale of two kilogram onions per card holder should be allowed after the 20th of each month as the stock can damage rice and wheat supplies.
He also said that those FPS owners who can store and supply three kilogram of onion at a time to card holders can go ahead.
“For those fair price owners who lack in storage capacity, the government will make provisions for them,” he said.
The council of ministers approved the purchase of 1,045 tonne of onions from the National Agriculture Cooperative Marketing Federation at around Rs 28,000 per tonne.
Card holders will get 3kg per card per month at Rs 32 per kg after including inter-state transportation cost of Rs 1 per kilogram and FPS dealer profit margin of Rs 3 per kilogram
Gaude said that if any ration card holder finds that the onion is of inferior quality, then they should return it to fair price shop.
If the fair price shop refuses to accept it, then the ration card holder lodge a complaint before the civil supplies office. “I will ensure that you can get a replacement for the poor quality onions,” he said.