August 11th 2024.
On Sunday, the Chief Minister of Odisha, Mohan Charan Majhi, had a conversation with his counterpart in West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, regarding the potato supply in their states. Majhi expressed his concern about the recent decline in potato supply to Odisha, despite their previous meeting in New Delhi which had initially improved the situation.
In response, Banerjee assured Majhi that she would take necessary steps to resolve the problem. The Chief Minister's Office released a statement stating Banerjee's promise to intervene in the matter. This call between the two leaders was made after reports surfaced of the West Bengal Police installing CCTV cameras in border villages to prevent unauthorized transportation of potatoes to Odisha.
To address the potato crisis, the Odisha government has started selling potatoes at a subsidized rate of Rs 100 for 3 kg in retail shops under the public distribution system. The Food Supply and Consumer Welfare Minister, KC Patra, stated that potatoes have been supplied to various places in the state through the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. He also mentioned that this move by the government has encouraged traders to release more potatoes into the market, leading to a hope for a reasonable price for the tubers.
The acute potato crisis in Odisha began when West Bengal stopped the transportation of potatoes to the state. Traders in Odisha refused to purchase potatoes from Uttar Pradesh, citing that the variety available in the northern state was not preferred by the people. As a solution, Patra announced that potatoes will now be directly brought from Uttar Pradesh, and he has already spoken to the railway minister about it. He also expressed his confidence that this would provide sufficient potatoes for the consumption in Odisha.
The Chief Civil Supplies Officer of Odisha, Sanjib Kumar Sahu, also confirmed that two trucks loaded with potatoes have arrived and have been distributed among more than 50 PDS dealers. More trucks carrying potatoes are expected to arrive on Sunday. This news has brought a sense of relief to the people of Odisha, who have been facing a shortage of potatoes for a while now.
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