Onion traders will be allowed to export soon

MUMBAI, March 23: In a major policy decision, the Sena-BJP Government today announced that all onion traders will be given permission to export within a week to tackle the unprecedented increase in the onion crop.

Minister of State for Horticulture, Harshawardhan Patil, informed the Legislative Assembly that the alliance Government had received 132 applications seeking export of onion, out of which 71 have been granted approval.

8220;We have taken a policy decision to grant permission for export to all the traders after consulting the National Agriculture Federation,8221; Patil said.

While 23,000 tonnes of onion have been exported so far, Patil8217;s department has undertaken research for a variety of onion that will not perish for at least six months. On the Taxation Bill, Finance Minister Mahadev Shivankar said his Government has decided to abolish the four per cent tax on exercise books. The tax was introduced in January during the tenure of Manohar Joshi to garner an additional Rs 18 crore.