Amidst tug-of-war between West Bengal and Jharkhand Government over supply of potato, the illegal entries of potato are on rise. Jharkhand is facing potato crisis after the West Bengal restricted the supply.
Paying a bribe of Rs10,000 for a fully loaded trucks and Rs 5,000 for mini trucks and buses entries of potato in Bokaro and Dhanbad through Purulia district of WB are rampant, said G Kumar a Dundibad Bazar based wholesaler of at Bokaro. “The smuggling of potato is going on unabated in broad day light but increased during the mid-night. Now private buses and SUV’s are being used in smuggling of potato through Prulia district in Jharkhand”, he added. Ultimately people are suffering from this price hike; but the tussle over the supply of potato creating huge revenue loss to the duo governments, said Rakesh Goshwami, president of Bazar Samitee.
A trader Dinesh Kumar of Chas Road on the boarder of Purulia and Bokaro district said: the announcement of crackdown on potato retailers who sell their products above the government rate of Rs 13 a kilogram created a mayhem among the traders; “we are facing huge loss”, he added. About 10 lakh tonnes of potatoes are being stored at cold storage in WB will get rotten if not sold out within more 45 days, he said. “We traders were regularly selling potatoes to the others states but now afraid why this time government has banned the supply”, added Dinesh.
Meanwhile, taking strong exception over the WB Government’s move, Jharkhand CM and other ministers threatened their Government to restrict the supply of water, electricity and vegetables to West Bengal.