No potato crisis in state, claims Odisha govt

Reported by Chinmaya Dehury
Bhubaneswar, Sep 1:

Even though potato prices are sky rocketing in the retail market following the imposition of fresh restrictions on movement of the kitchen essential into the state by the West Bengal government, a defiant Odisha government continued to claim that there was no potato crisis in the state and – even more surprisingly – that people were getting the staple food at reasonable prices.

“Though there was undeclared ban by the West Bengal government on potato transport, there is no potato crisis in the state. The state has received around 2, 340 truckloads of potatoes in the last fifteen days (from August 13 to Aug 31). So, there is no potato crisis as the state has received the required amount of potatoes,” said Food Supply and Consumer Welfare secretary Madhusudan Padhi here today.

While 1,443 potato-laden trucks had come to state through the Laxman Nath Road check gate, as many as 927 truckloads had reached the state through Jamhsolaghat check gate during the last 15 days, informed Padhi.

He said district collectors had been asked to keep a strict vigil on the market and crack down on hoarders to contain the price of potato in the state.

Sources said that the tuber variety is being sold at Rs 28-30 per kilogram in the retail market while it is selling for Rs 22-24 a kg at wholesale markets.

As the gap between the whole sale and retail market is around Rs 6, the state government has asked the consumer supply officers to take immediate steps to strengthen market intelligence to prevent hoarding of potato.