Bhubaneswar: Potato prices are likely to ease in Odisha with the arrival of trucks laden with this kitchen essential reaching Bhubaneswar and Chhatra Bazaar in Cuttack on Monday morning. According to reports, one truck of potatoes from Uttar Pradesh reached Cuttack Chhatra Bazaar this morning, while four trucks of potatoes have arrived from West Bengal. Similarly, 10 to 12 trucks of potatoes have reached Bhubaneswar from Uttar Pradesh.
Sudhakar Panda, general secretary of the Odisha Traders’ Federation, said on Monday that four trucks of potatoes from West Bengal and one truck of potatoes from UP arrived at Chhatrabazar. The government has announced that 300 trucks of potatoes will be brought from UP. Those trucks will also reach today, he added.
It is worth mentioning here that after the West Bengal government stopped transport and sale of potato to Odisha on Friday, the price of the tuber shot up to Rs 50 per kg in several markets in the state. Before the ban, potatoes were available at a price of Rs 30 to Rs 35 per kg in the market.
On Sunday, Food and Civil Supply Minister Krushna Chandra Patra said that 300 trucks of potatoes from Uttar Pradesh would reach various parts of the state on Monday.
Meanwhile, Supply Department officials are undertaking surprise raids at Unit 4 Market in Bhubaneswar and Chhatrabazaar in Cuttack to keep the retail prices of potato under check.
