Nashik: Rotten Onions, Worms And Maggots Found At Lasalgaon CWC Godown; Questions Raised Over Storage

Nashik witnesses an unsettling discovery at Lasalgaon's Central Warehousing Corporation godown, where onions purchased for crores of rupees are rotting. The decayed onions have become infested with worms and maggots, emitting a pungent odor. Dark, foul-smelling liquid is also said to be leaking from the decaying stock, prompting serious concerns about the government's onion storage system.

During the three-and-a-half-month procurement drive, approximately 1.20 lakh tonnes of onions were bought at prices ranging from Rs 1,235 to Rs 2,345 per quintal. These onions were then distributed to various godowns in Nashik district, some of which are now used to stabilize prices in major cities like Delhi, Guwahati, Chennai, Kolkata, and Kochi.

Despite the rising retail prices of onions reaching Rs 60 to Rs 70 per kg, the government continues to dispatch buffer stock to these locations. Laborers are now forced to work under these unhygienic conditions to sort out the rotten onions from the good ones, raising questions about the storage and handling of the onions. The incident has sparked demands for an immediate inquiry into the extent of the damage, the precautions taken during storage, and the financial loss suffered by the government.

Those accountable for any negligence are being called to answer. As the government ramps up its efforts to control onion prices through large-scale procurement and distribution, a special freight train carrying 800 tonnes of onions left Manmad railway station for Chennai on August 28.