Bhubaneswar: 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).
Food Supply and Consumer Welfare Minister KC Patra Sunday said potatoes have been sent to different places in the state through NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd). The government retail shops have started selling the kitchen essential at a price of Rs 100 per 3 kg, Patra said.
“After this move by the government, the traders have also started releasing potatoes to the market. I am hopeful that traders will also start selling the tuber at a reasonable price,” the minister told reporters.
Odisha has been facing an acute potato crisis after neighbouring West Bengal stopped transportation of the tuber and traders from the state refused to purchase it from Uttar Pradesh stating that people don’t like the variety available in the northern state.
Patra said that potatoes will be directly brought from Uttar Pradesh.
“I have already spoken to the Railways minister in this regard. Now, Odisha can get sufficient potato for its consumption…,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sanjib Kumar Sahu, chief civil supplies officer, Odisha, said that two trucks of potatoes have been distributed among more than 50 PDS dealers on Saturday and more trucks loaded with potatoes expected to arrive on Sunday, which would be distributed among other PDS dealers.
Anyone can visit the PDS store and buy 3 kg of potato at a price of Rs 100, he said.
PTI