Guwahati, Aug. 4: The Kamrup (metro) district administration has formed monitoring cells in five revenue circles to keep the price of onion under control.

The price of onion has increased to Rs 30 per kg compared to Rs 15 a month back.

"We have formed the monitoring cells so that no businessman can charge excess price of onion in the market. There is a shortage of onion in Guwahati. The price has increased in states like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, which are the main producers# of onions," Kamrup (metro) additional deputy commissioner Nabadip Pathak said.

The district administration had held a meeting with wholesale traders in the city yesterday, where a delegation said the situation would continue till September. There will be no scarcity of onion in the market, it added.

"We hope that prices will be controlled within 10 to 15 days. But we cannot do more as Assam is an importer of onion. We can only curb the hike in price," Pathak added.

The administration today said 1,824 quintals of onion were available in Guwahati and another 1,600 quintals would be imported soon.