BJP SELLS ONIONS FOR RS 30 PER KG: SOME SAY A CHEAP GIMMICK USED TO WIN ELECTIONS

PANJIM: In a bid to expose the ineffectiveness in the sale of onions by the Goa State Horticulture Corporation (GSHC) at the rate of Rs 35 per kg, to counter the phenomenal rise in the prices of onions, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday made available onions at the rate of Rs 30 per kg, at three centres namely Panjim, Margao and Shiroda.

Oppositin leader Parrikar of BJP is seen selling Onions

Whereas some people have also been out talking that BJP is trying cheap gimmick to woo the voters to vote them to power in the coming elections. Some say that this was never done before by the BJP why now? Yet there are others who would like the BJP to sell PETROL cheaper by half price from the prices of the Petrol pumps. One Krishna said that this will not get the BJP anywhere, contrary to that they should give up their support to RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal or be non communalists and only then they will be able to win elections. Very much True!

The overwhelming public support to the efforts of the opposition party saw 10 tonne of onions sold out within few hours of starting the sale.

The state unit of the Mahila Morcha of the BJP handled the sale of onions in the city, near the BJP Headquarters. Ms Kunda Chodankar, Ms Neena Naik and Ms Deeksha Mainkar attended to the sale.  The leader of the opposition and city MLA, Mr Manohar Parrikar who conducted the sale, later told the pressmen that the sale of onions has been undertaken by the BJP to prove two points.

“Firstly, we wanted to raise our voice against the insensitivity of the state as well as the central government towards the grave inconvenience faced by the public vis-à-vis skyrocketing of the onion prices,” he said, pointing out that secondly, the BJP wanted to show that if it can sell onions at the rate of ` 30 per kg, without any subsidy, then the Goa State Horticulture Corporation, which is availing the government subsidy, should have been able to sell the onions not at the rate of ` 35 per kg, but ` 25 per kg.

“And the Bharatiya Janata Party is bearing the transportation charges, wastages as well as shortages, involved in bringing the onions to Goa,” he observed, adding that the BJP is conducting the sale on cost-to-cost basis.  “It displays the quality of the administration, wherein even after availing 36 per cent subsidy from the government, the GSHC is unable to provide the onions to the public at the regularised rate,” he quipped.

Large queues were seen at all the three BJP centres around the state for purchasing onions. The onions were made available in the 2 and 5 kg packets.  Meanwhile, the vendors at the city market were still selling onions at a price of ` 60 per kg.

Sale of onions by Fatorda BJP Mandal evoked good response. The outlets of GSHC in Margao and Fatorda also sold onions but at ` 35 per kg. At these outlets 2kg of onions were given per person while the Fatorda BJP Mandal gave 5kg onions per person at ` 30 per kg.

Mandal claimed that 11 quintals of onions were sold. Several BJP leaders were present at Borda where the sale of onions was carried out. Mr Narayan Fondeker, former councilor of Margao Municipal Council, said that there was a good response from the people.

Mr Fondker said that sometime back they had sold coconuts at a reasonable price when there was shortage of the commodity, adding this time they sold onions at no profit no loss basis. It was said that such sale would be carried out in near future also.