Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Sunday spoke to his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee and requested her to improve potato supply.
During a telephonic conversation, Majhi said the supply of potatoes to Odisha had improved after their meeting in New Delhi, but now the situation deteriorated again.
The CM urged his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee to intervene in the matter and resolve the problem, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said in a statement.
“Banerjee has assured him of appropriate steps to resolve the issue,” it said.
The Odisha CM dialled Banerjee after the West Bengal Police allegedly installed CCTV cameras in the border villages to check unauthorized transportation of potatoes to Odisha.
The Odisha government has started selling potatoes at Rs 100 for 3 kg in retail shops across the state under the public distribution system (PDS).
Odisha Food Supply and Consumer Welfare Minister KC Patra Sunday said potatoes have been sent to various places in the state through the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd.
“After this move by the government, traders have also started releasing potatoes to the market. I am hopeful that they would sell the tuber at a reasonable price,” the minister told reporters.
Odisha has been facing an acute potato crisis after neighbouring West Bengal stopped the transportation of the tuber.
Traders from the state refused to purchase potatoes from Uttar Pradesh, stating that people don’t like the variety available in the northern state.
Patra said potatoes will be directly brought from Uttar Pradesh.
“I have already spoken to the railway minister. Now, Odisha can get sufficient potatoes for its consumption…,” he said.
Odisha Chief Civil Supplies Officer Sanjib Kumar Sahu said that two trucks loaded with potatoes arrived here and the tuber was distributed among more than 50 PDS dealers Saturday.
More potato-laden trucks are expected to arrive Sunday.
PTI