Potato crisis continues, 80 trucks cross into Odisha

With potato crisis continuing to pinch consumers, Odisha government today said 80 trucks carrying the tuber crossed over to the state from neighbouring West Bengal.
"About 80 potato trucks have reached the state since last night. The potato traders in West Bengal have criticised their government's undeclared restriction on the transportation of potato to other states," Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare minister Sanjay Dasburma told reporters here.
"We have been putting pressure on the West Bengal government to withdraw its undeclared restriction on the potato transportation," Dasburma said.
The minister said Odisha government had also been trying its best to normalise the situation.

The trucks entered into Odisha through Jamsola check gate while the West Bengal police had been guarding the check gate at Laxmannath area bordering Balasore.
The state had been reeling with potato shortage since August 6 due to sudden restriction imposed by Mamata Benerjee government. Though the TMC government allowed potato transportation for a day on August 9 after a section of people in Odisha stopped Bengal-bound trucks laden with fish, it again imposed the restriction.
Meanwhile, the state government has lifted buffer stocks of potato in different cold storages and sent them to different districts.
A report from Ganjam district said the administration today opened outlets to sell potato through the PDS.