NEW DELHI, Oct 9: Faced with an acute shortage, the BJP led government has decided to import 13,000 tonnes of onion immediately from the nearest available sources, reports BSS.

This was decided at a high-level meeting convened at the directive of Prime Minister Atal Blhari Vajpayee, a commerce ministry announcement said Thursday night.

The government has also ordered ban on export of onions till fresh crop comes into the market. The government decision came with a view to meeting the situation as the prices of onion have shot up to rupees 60 per kilogram in the open market in Delhi even as the government and the cooperative tried to sell the available quantities at rupees 10 and rupees 16 a kilogram. The onion prices rose sharply due to crop damage in Gujarat and Rajsthan whicn along with Maharashtra supply bulk of the commodity to the capital.

Onions will be imported from Iran and Oman and are to be off loaded at the nearest available port.