Nashik: A special ‘Onion Express’ carrying onions from Lasalgaon to Adarsh Nagar in Delhi finally departed on Wednesday at 3:10 p.m., after being delayed by nearly 42 hours. The train was being operated
under the Central Government’s Price Stabilisation Fund initiative to supply onions to Delhi and help control rising retail prices.
The train was originally scheduled to carry 840 metric tonnes of onions, but only 500 metric tonnes were eventually loaded and dispatched. As a result, 340 tonnes less than the planned quantity was transported, raising questions over the planning and coordination of the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation (NCCF) and the Central Warehousing Corporation.
The 21-coach goods train arrived at Lasalgaon railway station at around 11:50 p.m. on Monday. It was scheduled to leave for Delhi at 7 a.m. on Tuesday. However, grading, packing and loading of the onions at the warehouse progressed slowly, leaving the train stranded at the station for around 42 hours.
According to Lasalgaon station master Pritesh Dubey, the train is expected to take approximately 22 to 24 hours to reach Adarsh Nagar in Delhi.
Protest Over Quality of Onions
The train also faced a protest over the quality of the onions being transported. Ganesh Nimbalkar, North Maharashtra chief of the Prahar Janshakti Party, staged a protest on the railway tracks, alleging that poor-quality and rotten onions were being sent to Delhi.
Nimbalkar questioned how inferior-quality onions could be transported under the name of the ‘Onion Express’ and demanded that the quality of the consignment be checked before the train was allowed to depart.
The railway administration initially began moving the train backwards to shift it to another track. However, Nimbalkar maintained that the train would not be allowed to proceed to Delhi without a quality inspection. This led to a verbal confrontation between the protesters and officials from the NCCF and Central Warehousing Corporation.
After the protesters were removed from the railway tracks, the Onion Express was finally allowed to leave for Delhi at 3:10 p.m.
340 Tonnes Short of Planned Quantity
The onions had been procured through the NCCF at prices ranging from ₹1,235 to ₹2,345 per quintal and stored in warehouses across Nashik district as part of the buffer stock.
The authorities had planned to dispatch 840 tonnes from this stock to Delhi. However, only 500 tonnes could be loaded, leaving a shortfall of 340 tonnes.
The fact that a 21-coach train was used despite the reduced quantity could also increase the transportation cost per tonne. This has raised questions about the efficiency of the logistics planning behind the government’s effort to make onions available to consumers at affordable prices.
Possibility of Detention Charges
The train remained at the station for around 32 hours beyond its scheduled departure time, raising the possibility of additional detention charges from the Railways.
The Onion Express, intended to provide relief to consumers in Delhi amid rising onion prices, thus became a talking point even before leaving Lasalgaon, owing to the prolonged delay, reduced quantity, questions over onion quality and the protest at the railway station.
