Ms Dipti Raut says more grass-root planning and better storage facilities and food processing services will ease the problem of high onion prices - and making a variety of cash crops and vegetables available across the country would also ease the pressure on onions. "The government is quick to act when onion prices rise. Why don't they act as swiftly when prices fall?" asked Vikas Darekar, an onion farmer in Maharashtra. He said the government should buy onions from farmers at a "fair price". Mr Milind Murugkar, however, feels that the government should never interfere in "onion matters". "If you are interested in raising purchasing power of the people, they should not curtail exports. Do we have such a ban on software exports? It's really absurd. A government which has won such a huge majority should be able to withstand the pressures from a few consumers."