Bhubaneswar: After the transition of the state government, Odisha will shift its potato procurement from West Bengal to Uttar Pradesh (UP). This official decision was announced by the Food Supplies Minister on Thursday, noting that the transportation costs from UP will be slightly higher and the price increase will be marginal, at about Rs 1 or 2.
State Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra said that the higher cost of potatoes is not a big deal and is a matter of self-respect. He accused the West Bengal administration, police, and TMC goons of blackmailing and extorting money of Rs 30-40,000 from each Odisha-bound potato truck for years. This blackmailing will not be tolerated anymore, said the minister.
Despite frequent communication with West Bengal’s administration and CM Mohan Majhi’s discussions at the NITI Aayog meeting, the issue remains unresolved, forcing the Odisha government to source potatoes from UP.
Patra showcased UP potatoes to reports, which he claimed are superior in quality to those from West Bengal. He confirmed that the traders and merchants’ unions supported this change. He also highlighted the frequent disruptions caused by the West Bengal administration, police, and goons, leading to extortion and violence against Odisha’s businessmen.
Minister Patra said that to control the price, the government has instructed retailers to maintain only a Rs 4-5 margin while selling potatoes.
He stated that the previous BJD government was to blame for the high prices of potatoes. The BJD government launched a potato mission of Rs 270 crores, which was a disaster and not even one cold storage facility was constructed. The new government plans to set up 58 new cold storages in all sub-divisions throughout the state which will eventually extend to the block level.
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