Notwithstanding Odisha government claim, potatoes remain pricey in Bhubaneswar
BHUBANESWAR: Even as Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra on Saturday claimed that retail rate of potato has come down to Rs 32 to Rs 34 per kg after resumption in supply from West Bengal, the essential vegetable continued to sell at Rs 50 per kg in twin city.
While in Cuttack’s Chhatra Bazaar, the price of three kg of potatoes was Rs 150 on the day, at Unit-1 market of Bhubaneswar, it hovered between Rs 45 and Rs 50. And at some roadside shops in the city, the price even went up to Rs 60 for consumers who chose to sort potatoes before buying. “There was no fresh supply of potatoes to Chhatra Bazaar market today due to which we are bound to sell the existing stock at Rs 50 per kg,” said Rama Majhi, a retailer at the market. Similarly, at many markets in the capital city, only a limited number of vendors sold potatoes between Rs 45 and Rs 50 depending on the quality.
On Saturday, 18 trucks arrived at Aiginia market through alternative routes from West Bengal. Each truck carried 20 tonne of potato. “Yesterday, one truck of potato came from Uttar Pradesh and today, more trucks have started coming to Odisha. It will take two to three more days for the prices to cool down,” said secretary of Aiginia market Shakti Mishra. He claimed while the wholesale rate was Rs 27 to Rs 28, the vegetable retailed at Rs 34 a kg. “The price was actually higher at individual vegetable vendors that sold the tuber, who cited transportation cost as the reason behind hiking the price,” Mishra added.
Aiginia, the largest potato wholesale market in the state, requires 800 to 1,000 tonne stock every day as apart from supplying the tuber to Bhubaneswar markets, it sends some to parts of Khurda, Cuttack, Puri, Ganjam and Phulbani. Similarly, the Chattra Bazaar market of Cuttack needs five to six truck loads of potatoes everyday.
