Bhubaneswar: With price of potato touching Rs 50 per kg due to inadequate supply from West Bengal, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik wrote to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee requesting her to intervene in the matter and ensure smooth supply of potatoes to Odisha.
“As you know, potatoes are an essential item for our people. Due to the rains, there has been a short supply of potatoes in Odisha market, resulting in an artificial price hike adding to the sufferings of the common person”, Naveen wrote.
Naveen said that he came to know from the media that long queues of trucks (more than 50) loaded with potatoes are waiting at the West Bengal Odisha border.
“On earlier similar occasions, your noble gesture has earned the love and affection of our people. People of Odisha and West Bengal have strong cultural bonds and we are all devotees of Mahaprabhu Sri Jagannath”, the LoP mentioned in his letter.
Naveen requested the West Bengal CM to intervene in the matter and ensure smooth supply of potatoes to Odisha.
The supply of potato from West Bengal remained suspended due to the strike by cold storage owners in the neighboring state, as per reports.
Earlier today, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra said that he has reviewed the situation in the market.
The Minister said that there is sufficient stock of potatoes in the state which could cater to the needs for seven or eight days. Strict action will be taken against those responsible for creating artificial scarcity and price hike of potatoes in Odisha market, he said.
He further said that the state government is contemplating to procure the tuber from Uttar Pradesh.