Post Mandsaur, Shivraj Govt ‘Dumps’ Rotten Onion on BPL Families

After Mandsaur, MP government comes up with bizarre idea of clearing stock of rotten onions at PDS outlets.

(Photo: Harsh Sahani/The Quint)

Onions, which made previous governments in Madhya Pradesh cry, are now making the poor shed tears too.

“Buy 50 kilograms of onion at Rs 2 per kg and get your monthly ration,” said a government notification. Verbal orders on distress sale of onion were issued at PDS centres across Bhopal, to Below Poverty Line (BPL) beneficiaries.

The diktat issued by district authorities was aimed at clearing the stock of rotting onions, around 2,000 tonne, which was purchased by the Madhya Pradesh government from farmers after the Mandsaur violence.

Also Read: MP Police Stall Phase 2 of Mandsaur Protests, Leaders Arrested

Large stock of onions are being disposed off by the MP government. (Photo: Kashif Kakvi/ The Quint)

‘Forced’ to Buy Rotten Onions

BPL card holders in Bhopal were being refused their share of monthly ration until they purchased 50 kg onion.

Prabha Dahiya, a resident of Anand Nagar in Bhopal, went to a local PDS shop but was stunned when she was told that she could avail her monthly ration only if she purchased 50 kg onion, with a large chunk of it already rotten.

With six members, Dahiya’s family was dependent on PDS ration.

I was left with no choice but to buy onions to get my monthly quota of wheat and rice.

Prabha Dahiya, resident, Anand Nagar

Another BPL card holder, Sunil Ahirwar, a daily wage labourer who lives in Berasia, faced a similar situation when he visited the neighbouring PDS shop.

First of all, onions are rotting. Neither do I have money to purchase so much nor a place to keep it. We are managing with great difficulty.

Sunil Ahirwar, resident, Berasia

Left with no option, Ahirwal purchased the stock of rotten onions and buried it in his field.

Also Read: Beyond Mandsaur: Manipulating Farm Data to Paint a Rosy Picture

Bizarre Way of Stock Clearance

The woes of BPL families didn’t end there. They had to pay Rs 100 for 50 kg onions – a costly affair given the fact that monthly ration costs Rs 35.

Most of the beneficiaries threw the rotten onions fearing it would make them ill.

The government provides subsidised wheat and rice to BPL families at Rs 1 per kg, with each family getting 4 kg wheat and 1 kg rice.

There are 2.9 lakh families in Bhopal which get monthly ration from 402 PDS outlets across the district – 274 in urban areas and 128 in rural areas.

Also Read: Mandsaur: Tall Promises and High Expectations Fueled the Rage

‘Threat to Wheat, Rice’

Even PDS shop owners were compelled to store the rotten stock.

We do not have any option but to follow instructions. Officers from Food Controller Department are exerting pressure on us to clear the stock. But, we don’t have enough space to preserve it. The rotting onions are posing a threat to wheat and rice stocks.

A PDS shop owner in Idgah Hills

No Action by Vigilance Committee?

Vigilance committees have been in place since the rationing system was introduced, to ensure transparency and proper functioning of the PDS.

As per law, every state is required to set up vigilance committees at the state, district, block, and store level, but the question arises whether the vigilance panel knew the malpractices of government agencies.

When contacted, the district food controller of Bhopal, Jyoti Shah Narwariya, said:

The instructions don’t compel anyone to buy onions. These are rumours to defame the government. However, if the BPL beneficiaries are getting onions at Rs 2 per kg then it is good for them as it is five times cheaper than the market.

Onions being dumped in Bhanpur. (Photo: Kashif Kakvi/ The Quint)

No Takers for Tender

Bhopal’s two largest mandies, Berasia and Karond, which have a combined capacity to store over 400 tonnes, were unable to dispose the rotten stock. The stockpile could pose a serious health hazard for the warehouse staff exposed to it.

To clear the stock of 2,180 tonnes, the district administration floated an open tender but this did not yield any result. Later, state government officials issued instructions to immediately clear the rotten stock. Finally, the district administration as well as the mandi staff dumped the rotten onion at Bhanpur trenching ground and the stone-crusher mine in Berasiya.

“During the UPA-II regime, onion prices went through the roof because large stocks of onions were stocked in warehouses, forcing a rise in price,” claimed Shailendra Patel, Congress MLA from Icchawar constituency in Sehore district.

As the prices had gone up in 2013-2014, farmers planned to boost their income by cultivating onions in large quantities.

Also Read: Mandsaur Is Just a Symptom of Rural Tension Due to Agrarian Crisis

When the entire stock was out in the market for sale, prices came down, giving farmers a jolt and resulting in them killing themselves.

Shailendra Patel

(Photo: Kashif Kakvi/ The Quint)Onions left to rot in Bhopal’s Karond mandi.

Loss for Farmers

In 2016, out of 10.4 lakh quintal onions produced in Madhya Pradesh, a whopping 73 percent – 7.6 lakh quintal – was rotten and couldn’t be sold. Moreover, the state government spent Rs 2.88 crore to dispose rotten onions, according to a reply by the state government in the Assembly to a question by the Congress MLA.

I want to know the truth behind onion procurement and was shocked by the reply. It clearly reflects that the entire exercise of onion procurement was to benefit traders and middlemen.

With onion prices crashing to Rs 1 kg last year, the farmers were left with no option but to sell their produce at throwaway prices.

Replying to a question during the monsoon session of the Assembly, Minister of State for Cooperatives Vishwas Sarag said:

The government bought 10.4 lakh quintal onions for Rs 109 crore, but three quarters of the stock got spoiled.

It would have been better if the farmers were given monetary assistance instead. They only got 42 percent of the Rs 109 crore. The rest was spent on storage and transportation.

Also Read: Mandsaur Farmer Deaths: Have Patidars Lost Faith in Shivraj Govt?

(The writer is a Bhopal-based freelance journalist. He can be reached @MallickKakvi.)