Odisha to get potatoes from UP, to stop imports from West Bengal

Following scarcity of potatoes and skyrocketing price of the essential kitchen item in the Odisha market for a long time, the State government has decided to procure potatoes from Uttar Pradesh instead of West Bengal, informed the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra on Thursday.

According to Patra, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had requested his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee on the sidelines of the NITI Aayog meeting to solve the crisis, but nothing happened.

Following the development, a meeting was conducted with the Odisha Byabasai Mahasangha at the State Secretariat in which it was decided that potatoes would not be procured from West Bengal anymore.

The Minister clarified that procurement of potatoes from West Bengal will gradually be reduced and eventually stopped.

“Permission has been granted to procure 20 trucks of potatoes from Uttar Pradesh in the first phase. The procured potatoes from Uttar Pradesh will be available within Rs 30 per kg. Subsequently, steps will be taken to control the prices of onion, garlic and ginger,” said Patra.

The Minister alleged that TMC goons are creating trouble and extorting money on the border and police are also involved in it.

However, no reactions were received from the West Bengal government in this regard.

Notably, the price of potatoes has skyrocketed in Odisha reportedly after its supply from West Bengal was disrupted.

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