This reporter visited several designated locations for the vans in the city this evening but the vans were nowhere to be seen. At circle number C-3, the van was supposed to be parked near the Sangli Mess Servant Quarters but it wasn't. There wasn't one at Raja Bazar in Gole Market and C.R. Park market.

Poornima Sethi, Delhi's minister for food and civil supply, admitted that there was a move afoot to withdraw these vans. ``I am not denying it, we were planning to withdraw these vans. But since prices are still high we have decided to continue with the scheme for now,'' she said.

Even today the price of onions towered at Rs 25-30 a kg in many localities. The price of onions has been rising steadily from Rs 18 a kg a fortnight back. Analysts say that the prices might go up further if the government does not check the artificial scarcity which seems to have been created by traders.

With the market shutting down on account of Independence Day on August 15, prices are expected to rise further.

However, at the government-run Super Bazar, the price of onions is as low as Rs 10 a kg but customers complained that the quality of onions was quite poor. There were several complaints from residents in some areas that the mobile vans were selling more than the allowed 2 kg of vegetables.

Even at the Mother Dairy Food and Vegetable outlets around the Capital, the rate of onions stood at Rs 14 per kg. There were complaints of onion being of an inferior quality, there as well.

Officials at the food and civil supply department say that they are procuring the onions through the Government of India, and cannot do quality checks. `We are taking it from NAFED which is a government agency, and it is they who ensure quality,'' she said.

The department, unable to do a good job selling vegetables, now plans to sell atta from these vans.