BALASORE: Even as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee “generously” agreed to supply potato for a week to the State on her Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik’s pleadings, she continues to export the tuber to Bangladesh and Pakistan.
The West Bengal traders, who have been opposing tooth and nail Mamata’s decision to prevent transportation of potato to Odisha and other neighbouring States, have claimed that they have not received any instruction so far to curb their supply to Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Mamata has threatened the West Bengal traders who are opposing the unethical ban with detention under National Security Act (NSA). Undeterred, the trader community, both in Odisha and West Bengal, have accused the TMC Government of creating an artificial scarcity of potato to prove Mamata’s supremacy. Potato is an essential commodity and a producing State cannot impose such restriction, they held.
Potato trading, a Rs 2,500 crore business in West Bengal, seems to be in crisis as Mamata is trying to keep the price of the vegetable between Rs 12-14 a kg in the retail markets of the State. While West Bengal traders and the TMC Government are at loggerheads, potato farmers said export or no export, they are always on the losing side since traders reap all the benefits.
If West Bengal traders are to be believed, there is no need for imposition of restriction on inter-State movement since the existing stock of potato in the State is adequate to sustain till the new crops arrive.
Meanwhile, the repeated requests by Naveen on Wednesday resulted in Mamata agreeing to release 5,000 tonnes potato a day to Odisha from August 17 to 23.
In the last four days, inflow of potato from West Bengal drastically fell due to intensified patrolling on major routes connecting Odisha. The Bengal police is reported to have seized 400 potato laden trucks carrying 6,500 tonnes during this period.
‘Artificial Scarcity’
Undeterred, the trader community, both in Odisha and WB, have accused the TMC Government of creating an artificial scarcity of potato to prove Mamata’s supremacy
Potato trading, a Rs 2,500 cr business in WB, seems to be in crisis as Mamata is trying to keep the price of the vegetable between Rs 12-14 a kg in the retail markets of the State.
Mamata has threatened the WB traders who are opposing the unethical ban with detention under NSA