Bhubaneswar: The Mohan Majhi government will now bring potatoes via train from Uttar Pradesh to overcome the crisis of this tuber in the state.
Odisha Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra told the media on Sunday, “Efforts are on to bring potato consignments in two trains and the matter is being discussed with the Railway Minister,”
Disruption in supply from West Bengal to control local prices in mid-July led to a dip in stocks while pushing the prices up across the border. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and former CM Naveen Patnaik appealed to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to open up supplies, but their pleas have so far fallen on deaf ears.
To reduce its dependence on West Bengal, the state government has now decided to import potatoes from Uttar Pradesh as an alternative source. Traders from the state, however, had refused to purchase it from Uttar Pradesh stating that people don’t like the variety available in the northern state.
