AGARTALA, August 25 (TIWN): Even after a month of price hike of Onion, which has almost touched the sky, Food, Civil supplies and Consumers Affairs Minister Bhanu lal Saha is in long yawning siesta to check the price hike of the onions in the wholesale as well retail market.

Over the past month, retail prices of onion have shot up almost from `30 kg from first week of August to `80-85 per kg on Tuesday in the city. Wholesale prices of onions have also raised over the same period across the state.

Experts claim that the main reason for the sudden price hike has been the disruption in supply. Un-seasonal rain in past few days has spoiled the new crop of onion leading to a shortage.

A housewife, said, "Such rapid increase in the rate of onion is shocking. This increase has hit our budget and affected our lives.  As onion is very essential ingredient in vegetable so we can't ignore it while buying the other vegetables. The government has to step in to control the price."

Even the daily vendor is selling onion for `80 per kg and there is not much of a price difference. Being a working class family, we are badly hit. The government should keep a vigil at hoarding to rein in the prices, said another man.

Interestingly, even retailers claim to be running into losses. Even for the retailer it has become very difficult to sell onions as customers are upset with the price hike of onion and buying smaller quantities. We don't want to sell onions at the high rates, but we have to sell it based on our cost, said a retailer.  He claimed that days are not far when onion will be sold in Rs.100 for per KG.

Rising prices of vegetables have upset budgets of middle and lower class families, particularly affecting those below the poverty line. The fact that prices of vegetables have increased further has created great dissatisfaction. The rise in vegetable price has come as a shock for the people.