Odisha still searching for solutions as potato supply issues still persist

State govt was embarrassed as potato supply via trucks from West Bengal was halted

The state government has not been able to find a proper solution to tackle potato supply problems even after a series of meeting today amid blockade by West Bengal government on transportation of the vegetable to the state.

"Potato supply has been affected due to an undeclared decision of Mamata Banerjee (Chief Minister of West Bengal) . But we have been able to get some potato supply from different other sources. We will continue to sell potato at subsidised prices via our distribution system until potato rate stabilises," said Sanjaya Kumar Dasburma,minister of food and civil supplies with state government after a meeting with high level officials.

The state government was embarrassed on Sunday as potato supply via trucks from West Bengal halted a day after Banerjee agreed to resume transportation, puncturing its claim of overcoming the problem a day before. Several hundred trucks have been detained at Bengal-Odisha border by West Bengal police since Sunday.

"I have talked to West Midnapore Collector for transportation of potato trucks. He informed that there has been no decision regarding release of potato trucks to Odisha by West Bengal government," said Arvind Agrawal, Collector of Balasore district.

Today as many as 90 trucks entered into Odisha via other routes. As of now, the government has been able to store 86,000 tonne potato at different cold stores of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Balasore.

It has been selling potato at Rs 20 per kg but rationed at two kilo per person at government-controlled shops, lower than market prices of Rs 30 a kg. It is also awaiting delivery by Nafed (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India) , which is expected to reach the state by Wednesday.

Odisha depends heavily on imports to meet its potato need. Annually, it buys more than 80 per cent of its 900,000 tonne potato requirements from neighbouring state West Bengal, the second biggest producer of the tuber variety after Uttar Pradesh.

The potato supply problem has been affecting the state government since last year, when the West Bengal government banned selling of the vegetable to outside of the state in order to maintain local price there at Rs 13 a kg, as per the promises made by the ruling party Trinamool Congress (TMC) there.

Though the ban gets lifted later, the Bengal government imposes it time and again to keep a check on local prices there.