TWO-WEEK SHUTDOWN CONTINUES
Bhubaneswar: Several cold storage operators in the state who have been on an indefinite strike for the last two weeks Tuesday complained that no one from the government has come forward to listen to their grievances while the whole cold storage system in the state has come to a standstill.
Though all the cold storages in the state have been on the strike for the last two weeks, there is no response from the state government, they said. The cold storage operators have been on an indefinite strike since February 22, demanding various basic measures for the industry’s revival and government support to the sector.
“The state government is yet to respond or even call for a meeting with the Cold Storage Association. The shutdown of cold storages will not only hit the entrepreneurial but also the farmers’ community very badly. The government is responsible for the current plight of cold storages in the state and it has to immediately step in for its rescue and revival,” said Janardhan Sahoo, Secretary of the Cold Storage Association of Odisha, which is organising the strike.
Meanwhile, the association said that potato prices are likely to go up if the required steps are not taken by the government. The association said that last week’s rain has damaged the potato crop in low-lying areas of West Bengal. As a result, potato prices may rise after the harvest season.
The cold storage operators said that their units which provide post harvesting and earning security to lakhs of farmers are facing an existential threat; still, the government is showing no concern to address the problems.
“Overburdened with the huge liability and business loss and fear of bankruptcy, the promoters have threatened to immolate themselves before the Secretariat, but the government had turned a deaf ear to their appeals,” the association said.