The West Bengal government has effected a ban on the supply of potatoes to other states in view of the three-day strike called by the potato traders from September 1.
State Agriculture Marketing Minister Arup Roy told PTI that potato growers had also failed in their commitment of delivering 300 mt of potatoes to the government at a price of Rs 12 per kg which would be sold through fair price shops.
He said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had urged potato traders that they could send 700 mt of the crop to states like Orissa, Jharkhand and Assam, while 300 mt be supplied to the state at the price which they failed to comply.
In response to this, the traders called the strike on grounds that if the crop was sent to other states, then potatoes would turn rotten as the supply was much in excess of demand in the state.
Roy said CCTV would also be installed at border areas of various districts so that illegal exports could be thwarted.
The government, he said, had also stockpiled potatoes for supply in the market during the strike period.
