WB relaxes ban on potato export to Odisha, Jharkhand

CM Mamata Banerjee directs to release 5,000 tonnes of potato a day to Odisha and 500 tonnes of potato a day to Jharkhand from August 17 to August 23

West Bengal Government today relaxed the ban on export of potato to Odisha and Jharkhand to some extent, even as seizure of potato-laden trucks bound for other states and neighbouring countries continued for the fourth day.

Convening a meeting of the task force on price hike, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today directed to release 5,000 tonnes of potato per day to Odisha and 500 tonnes of potato per day to Jharkhand from August 17 to August 23 responding to special request from the governments of those states, state Agriculture Minister Purnendu Bose said here.

Bose said Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik recently rang up the CM and the Jharkhand Agriculture Minister requested him for relaxation on export of potato due to floods in some areas of Odisha and non-availability of potato in Jharkhand. "Both Odisha and Jharkhand governments later requested our CM formally in this regard," Bose said.

"The Chief Minister, however, cautioned not to release any potato beyond the quantity specified to these states until normalcy is restored here," he said. Meanwhile, the state administration has made arrangements for sale of the seized tubers in local markets at government regulated price.

"Nearly 400 potato-laden trucks carrying 6,500 tonnes have been seized in last four days," Bose, who was also in the meeting, said adding "the situation has improved as we have not received any major complaint from anywhere in the state. Potato price is more or less under control".

The clampdown on potato-laden trucks for other states and neighbouring countries began here following a directive from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the state administration also earmarked a ceiling for potato stock in both wholesale and retail markets to prevent its hoarding. "The state administration has arranged to sell the seized potato (Jyoti variety) at Rs 12 per kg to the retailers who will sale them at Rs 14 per kg in local markets," the minister said.

The meeting was attended, among others by state Agriculture Marketing Minister Arup Roy, Food Minister Jyotipriyo Mallick and senior government officials. Meanwhile, a potato traders' forum threatened to go on a three-day strike from August 19 demanding withdrawal of the restriction on movement of potatoes to other states.