Tamil Nadu cancels 400-tonne onion order due to quality issues
The state cooperation department rejected the consignment after finding more than 30 per cent of the onions were rotten.
The Tamil Nadu state cooperation department has cancelled an order for 400 MT of onions from a central agency after finding that more than 30 per cent of the consignment was rotten, according to The New Indian Express.
The onions, which were intended for sale at Rs 35/kg through fair price shops to curb rising prices, arrived at the Korukkupet goods yard on October 31.
A dispute arose between the state department and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) after the onions remained on trucks for two days following unloading.
While the state government refused to accept the shipment on quality grounds, NAFED insisted on delivery and eventually diverted the consignment to private wholesale dealers.
An official stated that when the 400 MT order was placed on October 20, the department requested NAFED to dispatch the onions from Nashik to Chennai only after verification by a team led by a joint registrar.
The official said NAFED officials loaded and dispatched the onions by train before the verification process was completed by Tamil Nadu officials.
During an inspection at Nashik, 20 per cent to 25 per cent of the onions failed to meet 'A' grade standards, while a subsequent inspection in Chennai found 30 per cent were rotten.
EPSAIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami accused the government of mishandling procurement and wasting taxpayers' money, alleging 250 MT of onions were rotting due to distribution delays.
Palaniswami also questioned the location of another 450 MT of onions procured via NAFED and claimed that NAFED maintained the stock had not been returned despite the state's rejection.