The seizure of potato-laden trucks bound for other states and neighbouring countries continued for the ninth day today, even as the three-day strike from tomorrow by a traders forum has already been withdrawn.
"The potato traders' forum has withdrawn its three-day strike from tomorrow as we are looking into some of their demands. However the seizures will continue amid partial relaxation to the ban on export of potato to Odisha and Jharkhand for a week," state Agriculture Marketing Minister Arup Roy said here.
A delegation of the 'Pashimbanga Pragatisil Aalu Byabsayee Samiti led by its president Santanu Manna and secretary Baren Mondal today met Roy while demanding the state government compensate their losses incurred due to the seizure of potatoes in the last few days.
After the meeting, Roy said the state government was looking into their demands for compensation against losses incurred following seizure of potato in the last few days.
"Since production of the crop is much more than its requirement, where is the problem for its export to other states or neighbouring countries?" the traders asked.
"Who will bear the losses incurred following seizure of potatoes? As the trucks were brought back even from the borders, it involved huge transport costs. A portion of the consignment also got damaged," the traders said.
Even as the forum was demanding withdrawal of restriction on movement of tubers to other states, Roy said the restriction would continue until normalcy was restored.
