Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Sanjay Dasburma on Saturday claimed that the potato crisis in Odisha created after the West Bengal Government put restrictions on the movement of potato-laden trucks into the State is now over and consumers can avail the kitchen essential at normal prices soon.
“The West Bengal Government has allowed movement of potato-laden trucks stuck at its border from 11 am on Saturday. While some trucks have already reached several places, including Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, other trucks will reach their destinations soon,” he said.
He informed that Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had discussed the issue with his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee on Friday and this resulted in the end of the impasse. The movement of West-Bengal bound fish and vegetable-laden trucks, which were stopped on the Odisha side of the border in retaliation for the action of neighbouring State, has also resumed.
Dasburma also informed that the potato to be provided by the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) would reach the State by Wednesday next.
The short supply of potato has resulted in a 100 per cent hike in the retail price of the tuber, forcing a panicky Odisha Government to hold talks with its West Bengal counterpart.