Bhubaneswar: The telephonic conversation between Chief Minister Mohan Majhi and his Bengal counterpart, Mamata Banerjee on Sunday saw the two leaders discuss the potato crisis and alleged incidents of assault on labourers from the neighbouring state in Odisha.
While Majhi requested Mamata to open up potato supply to Odisha, the latter expressed concern over incidents of violence against a group of workers from West Bengal and requested him to look into the matter, the PTI reported, quoting officials.
The Bengal CM has also urged the labourers from the state to return to West Bengal as soon as possible and grab the opportunities available here, it added.
Majhi, on the other hand, mentioned that while the supply had improved following their New Delhi meeting, the issue has re-emerged, necessitating immediate intervention from Mamata, according to the CMO.
On Saturday, some workers from West Bengal were allegedly assaulted by miscreants, who mistook them to be Bangladeshi nationals, in Jagatsinghpur’s Naugaon. “Four to five sustained injuries in the incident. Initial investigations suggests that the attackers were under the influence of alcohol and targeted the labourers presuming them to be natives of the neighbouring country,” Jagatsinghpur SP Rahul PR told the media.
A case has been registered against the attackers, he added.
