Bhubaneswar: With West Bengal continuing to adopt a non-cooperative stance on supply of potatoes to Odisha even after Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi spoke to Mamata Banerjee, the State Government has announced to procure the tuber from Uttar Pradesh. This was decided at a meeting between the officials of Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare department and Odisha Byabasayi Mahasangha on Thursday.
Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra said potatoes have already started arriving from UP. “We have got 10-12 trucks of potato from UP. We will gradually increase the import to 40 to 50 trucks and then to 100 trucks and end dependance on West Bengal. This is because the neighbouring state has been putting our potato dealers in trouble. Drivers of trucks bringing the stocks are being harassed, extorted at the border. This, despite the fact that Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi took up the matter with Mamata Banerjee and she had agreed to streamline it,” he said.
As a result of disruptions on the border, the tuber’s price continues to be on the higher side in many markets across the state. A limited number of trucks are arriving from West Bengal through different routes. Against the requirement of at least 100 to 150 trucks, close to 50 trucks arrived in Odisha from the neighbouring state on Friday, said Odisha Byabasayi Mahasangha general secretary Sudhakar Panda.
While Panda and officials in the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare department claimed that the price of potatoes has come down to Rs 32-Rs 35 per kg, the tuber is selling at Rs 40 to Rs 45 in many districts. While in markets of the Twin City, it is selling at Rs 35 to Rs 40, potatoes are available at Rs 45 in Berhampur and Rs 45 to Rs 50 in Sambalpur. In Baripada and Balasore too, it is selling at Rs 30 to Rs 40 a kg.
“Odisha was earlier importing potatoes from UP. But over the years, our dependence on West Bengal increased because the distance and wastage was less. The problem with UP was that due to longer travel distance and period, wastage of potatoes was more,” said Panda.
He, however, did not comment if the transportation cost from UP and extent of wastage would reflect on the potato price in state markets. “We will ensure the price is limited to Rs 30 to Rs 32 per kg,” he said.