While the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government imposed a ban on onion exports till March 2024 in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls slated for April-May 2024, there were trucks laden with sacks of onions, trucks stand idle at the Ghojadanga, near India-Bangladesh border, in Basirhat in North 24 Parganas. Hundreds of crore of rupees worth of onions are rotting in these trucks.

An order by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) earlier said, the export policy on onions is amended to prohibit till 31 March, 2024. Ghojadanga, country’s second-largest land port in Basirhat, is at the forefront of this issue. For the past few days, trucks carrying onion-laden goods have been stranded at the Ghojadanga border of the North 24-Parganas. It is reported that around 30 lorries are stuck, carrying a total of 450 tonnes of onions, with a market value of several hundred crores.

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Onion prices are soaring across the country. The situation has escalated to the point where onion traders are facing substantial losses. The government of India has not agreed to supply onions from Nasik in Maharashtra, which is a setback for the Bangladesh government. Bangladesh, in turn, blames the Indian government for the situation. In the past few months, the central government has taken various measures to reduce onion prices in its own domestic market. One significant decision was to ban onion exports.

An official directive has also been issued in this regard. Trucks are still stranded since 7 December, causing heavy losses to businessmen from both the countries. Indian traders are attempting to sell some onions directly from the trucks in open markets to prevent further deterioration. If these onions cannot be sent to Bangladesh, there is a risk of several hundred crores in losses.

Officials from Ghozadanga import clearance agency have not provided any information on the matter. They mentioned that there is a directive from the Centre, and hence, onion exports to Bangladesh are not taking place. One clearing agent stated, “No onions are being taken from West Bengal. Some trucks have been standing at the border for ten days. Parking charges are also being incurred. Now, efforts are being made to take the trucks to the warehouse.”

On the other hand, a lorry driver from Nasik, Balabant Singh, said, “I have been stranded here since 7 December. A loss of Rs 1 lakh has occurred here. They (clearing agents) told me the border is closed. We are trapped. The onions have gone bad due to loading and unloading. What’s the use of taking so much load if the onions don’t stay good?”