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It was around 2007 that Forward Bloc, representing a large number of trader's body, led the agitation against organised retail in West Bengal. Some of the big names in the retail sector have stayed away from West Bengal, ever since.
With the Trinamool government coming to power, the allegiance of trader’s body switched, as most of them came to be known as Trinamool-backed organisations. But with potato prices soaring, the trader’s body is now suddenly without any political backing.
The differences between the state government and the trader’s body became visible, when recently Paschimbanga Pragatisheel Aloo Babsayee Samiti, the traders body in control of potato marketing in West Bengal, decided to on a three-day strike. They were protesting against the state’s diktat to market subsidised potatoes at Rs 13 kg and banning of inter-state export of the commodity.
Dealing with a heavy hand, the state decided to develop its own marketing network to sell potatoes at a subsidised rate.
“There were reports of heated exchanges between the traders' body and the chief minister,” said sources.
The Forward Bloc, led by leaders like Naren De and Naren Chatterjee, too have disowned the traders' body.
“It is because of the selfish interest of the trader that the prices of potatoes have gone up,” said Barun Mukherjee, Rajya Sabha MP from Forward Bloc.
However, many see a conspiracy behind the rise and fall in potato prices.
“It is entirely a staged exercise. The Trinamool themselves were responsible for price rise, and they themselves have brought down the prices,” said Congress leader, Manas Bhunia.
“A section of Trinamool Congress leaders have formed a nexus with potato traders and big hoarders to increase the price of potato in the market," West Bengal Pradesh Congress President Pradip Bhattacharya had said yesterday.
In the open market, potatoes continued to sell between Rs 17 and 20 per kg.
