Bhubaneswar: Odisha Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra on Thursday said that the potato crisis in the state will be over within a couple of days with fresh supplies expected to arrive from neighbouring West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.
“We will receive adequate supplies of potatoes from West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh soon and it would help to ease the crisis of the tuber in Odisha. The prices of potatoes will also drop,” Patra said. He added that traders have been told to prepare for the fresh supplies of potatoes and keep the prices of the tuber in check.
Meanwhile, five potato-laden trucks arrived at the potato godown at Aiginia on Thursday easing the plight of the consumers.
The WB police had reportedly been stopping the trucks transporting potatoes at a temporary checkpoint in Belda, 60 km from the Sonakania Gate. But that hurdle seems to be over with the arrival of fresh stocks today.
While the amount of potatoes may not be enough for now, this gave hope to traders that they would now be able to get potatoes from West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.
According to traders, the potatoes from UP are yet to come having the last stock arrived four days ago.
Earlier, Sudhakar Panda, General Secretary, the Odisha Traders Association (OTA), told the media that the lack of stock in godowns was pushing the merchants to sell potatoes at high prices. “We don’t have stock (potatoes) at the godown in Aiginia (Bhubaneswar). The godown is empty. It’s been two days since the last stock of potatoes came,” Panda had said, adding: “The merchants, who have even a little stock, are selling it at a high price.”
