Farmers Halt Delhi-Bound Onion Express at Lasalgaon Station Over Produce Quality
Maharashtra farmers halted the Delhi-bound 'Onion Express' freight train at Lasalgaon Railway Station in Nashik on Wednesday, alleging that rotten produce was being dispatched instead of quality onions procured from farmers. The demonstration held up the freight train at the local railway yard before security personnel intervened.
The special freight train, also known as the 'Kanda Express', had been arranged by the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India (NCCF). The transport was initiated as part of the Central Government's efforts to release onions from its buffer stock and provide relief to consumers, as retail onion prices had surged to around Rs 70 per kilogram.
Earlier in the day, Ganesh Nimbalkar, an activist associated with the Prahar organisation, sat directly in front of the train on the tracks to block its departure. He claimed that rotten onions were being loaded for transport and warned that the condition of the produce would deteriorate further over the two days required for transit.
Nimbalkar alleged that sending a large consignment of poor-quality onions to the national capital could adversely impact market prices received by farmers for their own produce.
Following the blockade, the train remained halted in the Lasalgaon railway goods yard. The disruption prompted officials from the Railway Protection Force (RPF) alongside personnel from the Lasalgaon Police to arrive at the site and intervene.
Law enforcement and railway officials subsequently removed the protesting activists from the tracks to clear the route. Following the clearance, the onion-laden train was permitted to resume its journey and departed for Delhi at around 3 pm.
After the protest was cleared, Nimbalkar warned that the Prahar organisation would intensify its agitation if attempts continued to influence onion market prices rather than ensuring fair rates for farmers.
