Abdul Sattar, the state marketing minister for Maharashtra, stated on Tuesday that the absence of the concerned Union secretary prevented any decisions from being made at a meeting held to examine onion sellers' requests to reduce the 40% export tariff on the common kitchen essential.
The meeting was attended by Sattar, deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar, and representatives of onion traders. A Union secretary was not present, hence no major solution was found on the issue of slashing 40 per cent export duty. The next meeting is scheduled for September 29 in Delhi which we will attend. I am hopeful that an amicable solution will be found, he said.
Asked if the Maharashtra government has issued any directive to onion traders, Sattar said, “The state has asked the traders to procure onions from farmers. Agencies such as NAFED will also start buying onions.