Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Minister Krushna Chandra Patra of the state’s department of food supplies and consumer welfare, Odisha, gave an assurance on Friday that the issue will be rectified in two days, despite the unexpected increase in potato prices around the region caused by a stoppage in West Bengal’s supply.
“We had discussions with the officials of West Bengal and they said the strike by potato farmers in West Bengal which had started on July 21 ended on July 24. It will take two to three more days to solve all the related problems. The vehicles carrying potatoes will reach Odisha within a day or two and the situation will soon return to normalcy,” said Patra following a high-level meeting of the department.
Additionally, the minister said that Odisha has enough potatoes in store to meet consumer demand for the next seven to eight days. If traders are discovered to be selling potatoes for more than Rs 32 per kg, officials have been asked to take strict measures against them. In the past, Patra had also declared that the government will import potatoes from Uttar Pradesh in order to meet demand and keep prices from rising. In addition, he attacked Leader of the Opposition (LoP) and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik for his letter to Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, asking her to step in and guarantee a steady supply of potatoes.
“Pleases stop playing these cheap politics. You failed to solve any problem despite remaining in power for 24 years. Your potato and onion missions failed. Odisha couldn’t become self-sufficient in potatoes, onion, egg, fish or any other food items in your 24-year rule. Nothing is going to be achieved through these dramas,” added Patra.
To guarantee a steady supply of potatoes, Patnaik had already asked the West Bengal Chief Minister to get involved in the situation. He claimed that the Odisha market’s shortage of potatoes as a result of the rain had driven up prices.
“Learnt from media reports that long queues of trucks loaded with potatoes are waiting at the West Bengal border. Requested Honourable Chief Minister of West Bengal @MamataOfficialji to kindly intervene in the matter and ensure smooth supply of potatoes to #Odisha,” Patnaik on Friday posted on his ‘X’ handle.
