Although the Government had declared to provide potato as a PDS item at reasonable price, the people of Koraput district are yet to get a respite from the spiraling price of tuber. Now-a-days, potato has almost vanished from the market.
The district Civil Supply department had provided 260 packets of potato to be sold under the PDS at Sunabeda, but that is of little avail. It is alleged that Government supplies are going to Andhra Pradesh through some dishonest officials.
According to sources, potato sells at Rs35 in Koraput market, while black-marketing and hoarding of potato is going unabated. The locals have alleged huge irregularities in the stock and sale of potato by the Government agencies. last time the district had got 180 packets of potato but not a single potato appeared in the market.
When asked, Civil Supply Officer Ganesh Chaudhry said there was no potato stock.