BHUBANESWAR: With West Bengal government still not yielding to Odisha’s request for normal supply of potato, the state has decided to procure the tuber from Uttar Pradesh by train.
Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare minister Krushna Chandra Patra on Sunday told mediapersons here that the state government is working with Railway Ministry for arrangement of special rakes for transportation of Uttar Pradesh potato to Odisha.
“Efforts are on to bring potato from Uttar Pradesh through railway and the matter is being discussed with Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw,” Patra said.
He said frequent disruptions in supply from West Bengal has hit Odisha consumers hard. The state is witnessing potato scarcity since mid-July due to restriction on the supply of the tuber by West Bengal government. The West Bengal government has not lifted restriction despite repeated requests by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to Mamata Banerjee. Majhi took up the matter with Banerjee at New Delhi last month when both were at the national capital for the governing council meeting of NITI Aayog.
Majhi talked to her again a week ago when the WB administration installed CCTVs on border areas to monitor the movement of goods vehicles carrying potato. Though the West Bengal chief minister assured Majhi to look into the matter, there has been no improvement in the situation as traders of the neighbouring state are still facing harassment from their police.
Patra who reviewed the situation on August 1 had also decided to import potato from UP to reduce dependence on WB. Potato wholesalers of the state, however, are reluctant to buy potatoes from UP due to high transportation cost and chances of the vegetable getting damaged by rain.
Meanwhile, supply from WB has improved to an extent due to defiance of its traders to their government fiat. But, Odisha government is in no mood to take any chance due to volatile political situation and the non-cooperative attitude of the neighbouring state.