NEW DELHI, Sept 15, 2020 (BSS) – Veteran Indian politician and President of Nationalist Congress Party Sharad Pawar today requested the Indian government to lift ban on onion exports, saying “this decision has led to strong reactions from the onion growing belt in Maharashtra”.
In a series of tweets both in English and Hindi languages, he said that he had discussed the matter with Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and urged him to reconsider the decision of banning export of onion.
“The central government has abruptly announced a ban on onion exports. This has led to strong reaction in the onion growing belt in Maharashtra & therefore the representatives of various political parties contacted & requested me to convey their demands to Central Government,” he tweeted.
He added, “Following the above request, I urge Piyush Goyalji to reconsider this decision of banning export of onion. Piyush Goyal said that the ban on onion exports was proposed by the Union Ministry of Consumer Protection on the basis of rising onion prices in the market (India)”.
Pawar said the commerce minister has assured him that he (Piyush Goyal) will reconsider the ban in consultation with the Union Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Consumer Protection.
In separate tweets, Pawar wrote, “The ban jeopardises India’s export share in the onion markets of Gulf countries, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.”
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) of India on Monday issued a notification imposing restrictions on onion export with immediate effect. This India’s decision has posed a negative impact on onion markets in Bangladesh.
However, Bangladesh mission in New Delhi sources said that the mission officials are maintaining communications with the ministries concerned so that they revoke the ban on onion export.