Potato, onion getting out of reach for poor, Rs 150 not enough to buy these veggies

Agencies
November 1, 2020

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New Delhi, Nov 1: Aloo and pyaz (potato and onion), considered as the poor's basic vegetables, are getting out of reach now as one needs to shell out at least Rs 150 to buy one kg each of these two commodities at a time when the common man is reeling under the COVID-19-induced hardships.

Farm experts are of the view that rising prices of essential commodities coupled with wage deflation and increasing joblessness are pushing poor households to the point of distress despite the government''s relief measures.

Not only daily wagers and the economically poor section, but middle class families also are finding it hard to manage their kitchen budget with skyrocketing prices of these two commodities since the last few weeks, they said.

Prices of potato and onion have shot up in both wholesale and retail markets of the national capital and other parts of the country because of tight supplies, the reason that the government attributes to damage to the crop due to heavy rains.

In Delhi, retail onion prices spiked to Rs 80 per kg on October 21 from Rs 20 per kg in June while that of potato to over Rs 70 per kg from Rs 30 in the said period, according to trade data.

In Mother Dairy''s Safal outlets, potato was being sold at Rs 58-62 per kg in the last week while onion was hardly available in some outlets.

"With my daily earning of Rs 150-200, I cannot think of buying aloo and pyaz. What will I feed my family of five members? Other vegetables are equally costlier. How do we survive?" Brij Mohan, a rickshaw-puller at Sadar Bazar, cried.

Mohan, who hails from Bihar, returned to the national capital to restart his life after the COVID-19 lockdown was lifted.

"But earnings are not that great as people are not very keen to take rickshaws these days due to the fear of infection. Somehow I am managing to meet the house expenses. The rise in prices of vegetables has added to my woes," he said.

Sharing a similar ordeal, carpenter Mustakeen who hails from Uttar Pradesh, stated, "Though life has limped back to normalcy in markets but my earnings are still low. On the top of it, potato-onion prices are touching sky-high. What will I feed my children? Cannot buy even aloo and pyaz."

Mustakeen, who works in Bhogal and Ashram areas of the city, said his hopes of earning extra during Diwali are all dashed to the ground as not many people are interested to get any big carpentry work in this pandemic.

Experts, who do not want to be identified, said as long as the price inflationary pressure persists along with wage deflation and increased joblessness, the measures like free distribution of grains to ration card holders will not fully solve the real problems of the common man.

To give relief to the poor, the government has taken several steps. It is distributing additional foodgrains of 5 kg per person for free via ration shops under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana till November.

The government has also launched new PM Street Vendors'' Aatmanirbhar Nidhi (SVANidhi) microcredit programme and other steps to help the poor to tide over the crisis.

However, Roma Devi, a housemaid working in Nizamuddin area, said: "No matter how much free grains I get from the ration shop, I have to buy at least potato and onion, else what sabzi my family of five will have with rice or roti?"

"My daily aloo consumption is 1 kg. How will I manage now?" she said as she purchased a half kg potatoes at Rs 70 per kg from a nearby market.

The irony is that India, which was exporting both potato and onion till a few months back, has started importing them now -- a situation which experts say the government could have easily avoided and not left the poor to bear the brunt of price rise at a time the pandemic hit them harder like never before.

According to the official data, the country exported 8,05,259 tonnes of onion till June this year while 1,26,728 tonnes of potato till May.

Last week, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal had said about 7,000 tonnes of onion have already been imported by private traders and 25,000 tonnes more are expected to arrive before Diwali. Also, 30,000 tonnes of potatoes are being imported from Bhutan to boost domestic supply.

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News Network
November 24,2025

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Israeli forces have pushed over the Syrian frontier, erecting a checkpoint and stopping vehicles in the southwestern city of Quneitra, in yet another breach of the Arab country’s sovereignty.

The violation took place on Sunday, when the troops made their way across the border, setting up the outpost near the Ain al-Bayda junction in northern Quneitra, Syrian outlets reported.

According to the al-Ikhbariya paper, an Israeli detachment positioned itself at the junction, halting cars and conducting searches.

The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that three Israeli military vehicles then moved further into the northern countryside, deploying between the town of Jubata al-Khashab and the villages of Ofaniya and Ain al-Bayda. The agency added that a separate Israeli unit mounted a new incursion in the central region, approaching the villages of Umm Batina and al-Ajraf.

Residents said such activities have surged in recent months, pointing to Israeli advances onto farmland, leveling of extensive forested areas, arrests, and spread of mobile checkpoints.

The Israeli regime began markedly increasing its military aggression against Syria last year.

The escalation coincided with increasingly ferocious onslaughts throughout the country by the so-called Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Takfiri terrorist group, which the government of President Bashar al-Assad had confined to northwestern Syria. The HTS, however, managed to overthrow the government as the Israeli attacks would pummel the country’s civilian and defensive infrastructure.

Various reports have shown that, during the escalation, the regime conducted more than 1,000 airstrikes on the Syrian territory and over 400 ground raids into the south.

Following the collapse of the Assad government, Tel Aviv also widened its grip over the occupied Golan Heights by taking control of a demilitarized buffer zone, in defiance of a 1974 Disengagement Agreement. Earlier this month, senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, visited the buffer zone, prompting expressions of alarm on the part of the United Nations.

The United States, the regime’s biggest ally, has, meanwhile, been fraternizing the HTS head Abu Mohammed al-Jolani amid the widely reported prospect of rapprochement with Tel Aviv.

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News Network
November 30,2025

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Mangaluru, Nov 30: A 22-year-old college student succumbed to her injuries at a private hospital in Mangaluru today, days after she was hit by a goods tempo while crossing a road in Padubidri.

The deceased has been identified as Preksha, a resident of Nadsalu Billitota in Padubidri. The fatal incident occurred as Preksha, who was returning home after completing her examination, attempted to cross the service road towards Mangaluru. She was struck by a goods tempo approaching from the Udupi side, causing her to fall and sustain a severe head injury.

Prompt action from local residents ensured she received immediate first aid before being rushed to a hospital in Mangaluru for specialised treatment. Despite medical efforts, she passed away while undergoing care.

Preksha was a student at Karavali College, Vamanjoor on the outskirts of Mangaluru city. The tragedy is compounded by the fact that she belonged to a financially vulnerable family, having previously lost her father. She is survived by her mother and brother.

A case related to the accident has been registered at the Padubidri police station, and an investigation is underway to determine the exact circumstances that led to the collision. The incident highlights the growing concerns over road safety, particularly on busy service roads, and serves as a tragic reminder of the human cost of traffic accidents.

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News Network
November 29,2025

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New Delhi: Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and deputy CM DK Shivakumar on Saturday put up a dramatic display of unity at a closely watched joint press briefing, firmly dismissing weeks of speculation about a power-sharing tussle within the Congress. With the high command nudging both leaders to sit together and settle the dust, the meeting became a political spectacle, ending with the duo declaring that there was “no confusion, no differences.”

Calling the reports of a rift “manufactured confusion,” Siddaramaiah said the talks had gone smoothly, even joking about their breakfast. “Breakfast was very good. All three of us enjoyed it,” he said. “We want to end this confusion once and for all. For local elections and for 2028, our mission is clear — Congress must return to power. There is no difference between me and DKS, not now, not before.”

He blamed the media for fuelling rumours and reiterated absolute adherence to the party leadership. “From tomorrow, let there be no confusion. What the high command says, we will follow.”

Siddaramaiah also assured that the Assembly session starting December 8 would run smoothly and vowed that Congress would take on the BJP and JD(S) “together.”

Shivakumar echoed the chief minister word for word, stressing loyalty and discipline. “People have given us a massive mandate. It is our duty to deliver,” he said. “This government was formed under Siddaramaiah’s leadership. We both have complete trust in the high command. If they tell me to wait, I will wait.”

He added that the two leaders had discussed strategy for the 2028 Assembly elections. “Whatever the CM says, I agree. We are loyal soldiers of the party. The party may be facing challenges nationally, but we will keep it strong in Karnataka.”

Shivakumar also said Siddaramaiah would soon visit his home for lunch or dinner — another symbolic gesture meant to underline their unity.

Both leaders later posted on social media describing the breakfast meeting as “productive” and focused on “Karnataka’s priorities.”

The BJP, however, rejected the show of camaraderie as “pure bunkum,” accusing Congress of trying to paper over an internal power struggle. But Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar insisted their united front would continue — and that there was “no confusion” within the state leadership.

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