Bhubaneswar: The state government will make the necessary arrangements for procurement of potatoes from Uttar Pradesh to manage the supply crunch of the essential tuber in Odisha.

Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare (FS&CW) Minister Krushna Chandra Patra revealed this after chairing a meeting pertaining to the supply crunch of potatoes in the state at Lokseva Bhawan here today.

FS&CW department Principal Secretary Vir Vikram Yadav, senior officials of the department and representatives of Odisha Traders’ Association among others were present at the meeting.

“Odisha is facing several issues while procuring potatoes from neighbouring West Bengal. The Bengal government is reluctant to extend the necessary cooperation in this regard. The state government has decided to make all arrangements for procurement of potatoes from Uttar Pradesh,” said the Minister.

The minister further revealed that a few trucks carrying potatoes from Uttar Pradesh have already reached Odisha. “Our traders will procure more quantities of the essential tuber from UP and minimize their dependency on West Bengal. The UP government has agreed to extend their cooperation in this regard,” he said.

Soon, a team from Odisha will visit Uttar Pradesh to hold detailed discussions on procurement of potatoes, added the Minister.

“The state government will also make all efforts to raise the production of potatoes and other kitchen essentials in Odisha,” stated Patra.

Notably, potato price went up in Odisha due to supply crunch in last few days.