IT raids in Punjab to check onion hoarding
January 7th, 2011 - 2:42 pm ICT by IANSChandigarh, Jan 7 (IANS) As onion prices soared and the supply of the bulb in the market dwindled, Income Tax (IT) authorities conducted raids at warehouses of many traders in this union territory and various Punjab districts, an official said here Friday.The raids, held simultaneously at nearly 10 premises Thursday, continued late into the night and are aimed at checking hoarding.
“Raids were conducted at the godowns of two leading traders at the grain market in Sector 26, Chandigarh. We have also conducted raids at the offices, godowns and cold storages of leading commission agents and traders in Ludhiana, Amritsar and Jalandhar districts,” said an official of Punjab’s IT department here.
“These raids were conducted to check illegal hoarding of onions and other vegetables that has led to their price rise. Right now, we cannot comment on the findings of these raids as our investigation is still under process. We have confiscated various documents, transaction slips and record books,” he added.
India has so far received around 50 truck-loads of onions every day from Pakistan through the Attari-Wagah border check-post from Dec 21 to Jan 5.
According to a communication received from Pakistan’s commerce ministry, onions will now not be transhipped to India through both land and rail routes.
With onion prices touching Rs.100 a kg in some parts of the country last month, Indian traders started buying the bulb from Pakistan at Rs.300-350 a quintal.
Most of the onions coming to India are from Pakistan’s Sindh province. Pakistan has said it is facing a shortage of onions now.
- Onion prices: Surveys yield over Rs.70 mn in Punjab - Jan 13, 2011
- India expecting 50 truckloads of onion from Pakistan Friday - Dec 24, 2010
- Pakistani onions poor, claim Chandigarh wholesalers - Dec 25, 2010
- Punjab traders hope Pakistan will lift onion ban (Lead) - Jan 07, 2011
- 45 truckloads of onions arrived from Pakistan Friday - Dec 24, 2010
- 34 truckloads of onions arrive from Pakistan - Dec 23, 2010
- 34 trucks of onions reach India from Pakistan (Lead) - Dec 23, 2010
- Onion prices may soar as Pakistan bans export via road, rail (Lead) - Jan 06, 2011
- Onion prices may soar as Pakistan bans export via border - Jan 06, 2011
- Pakistani onions arriving to wipe tears in India - Dec 21, 2010
- Onion prices decline following raids on godowns in UP - Jan 08, 2011
- PM steps in as onion prices spiral (Roundup) - Dec 21, 2010
- Punjab traders stop sending tomatoes, vegetables to Pakistan - Jan 07, 2011
- Delhi onion traders on strike from Wednesday - Jan 11, 2011
- Delhi markets raided to check onion hoarding - Jan 10, 2011
Tags: amritsar, attari, cold storages, coming to india, commerce ministry, grain market, hoarding, indian traders, jalandhar, jan 7, onion prices, onions, punjab, quintal, record books, s commerce, sindh province, truck loads, union territory, warehouses