A dispute over onion supply in Tamil Nadu has intensified after AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami alleged that 450 tonnes procured through the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) could not be accounted for, while a separate consignment of 250 tonnes was allegedly deteriorating in lorries at a Chennai warehouse.
The allegations were made in a statement issued by Palaniswami on November 3, as onion prices in the open market were reported to have risen sharply. He said the Tamil Nadu government had announced that onions would be procured from northern states and sold through fair-price shops at lower prices.
According to the statement, 250 tonnes of onions were brought to Chennai by goods train during the previous week and stored at a warehouse in Korukkupettai for distribution to other districts. Palaniswami alleged that the onions had not been unloaded from 10 lorries for three days and were consequently beginning to rot. The statement did not provide the names of the warehouse operator, the transport contractor or the officials responsible for the consignment.
Palaniswami further alleged that another 450-tonne consignment procured through NAFED in a fourth phase had not been accepted by the Tamil Nadu government because it was considered substandard. He said the state government had indicated that the onions were not accepted, while NAFED was reportedly saying that the consignment had not been returned. On that basis, he questioned what had happened to the onions brought to Tamil Nadu.
The dispute places attention on the operational chain behind subsidised distribution of essential commodities. Such a chain involves procurement, quality inspection, acceptance, transport, unloading, storage and movement to fair-price outlets. A delay at any stage can affect both the condition of perishable produce and the cost of a price-support intervention. The statement, however, does not establish the precise status of the 450-tonne consignment or confirm the alleged deterioration of the 250 tonnes.
Palaniswami said the alleged wastage would amount to a loss of taxpayers’ money and accused the state administration of failing to recognise the seriousness of rising prices. He urged the government to implement measures to control inflation and handle essential commodities more carefully.
The claims require clarification from the Tamil Nadu government, NAFED and the authorities managing the Korukkupettai warehouse. The supplied report does not contain a direct response from those institutions, inspection records, delivery documents, quality-assessment reports or an official account of the consignments’ present status.
