Angered over the stoppage of potato supply by the West Bengal Government, district BJP members, led by party president Madan Mohan Dutta, picketed at three places on the NH-5 near Baleswar, Soro and Salabani on Saturday.
Also, the rank and file of different political parties and locals staged road blockade on NH-60 near the laxmannath check-gate to oppose the lack of response of the Mamata Banerjee Government. Due to picketing and road blockades, vehicular traffic on the NH 5 and 60 connecting West Bengal came to a standstill for three hours leaving hundreds of trucks, buses and other vehicles stranded.
Madan Mohan Dutta said, “Today, the common man is suffering like anything due to severe scarcity of potatoes. While West Bengal Government has stopped potato export, the State Government is doing nothing. This is outrageous.” “It was a token strike for three hours today. It would be intensified if the situation does not improve within next three days,” he warned. Meanwhile, the administration claimed that it had opened 30 counters in the town to make potato available for consumers and similar counters would be operative in NACs from Sunday.
“We have taken possession of nearly 1,400 qunitals of potato stored in a cold storage here,” said Civil Supplies Officer Amar Mohapatra. “We are releasing the stock in the market at Rs 20 a kg,” he added.