Odisha Minister Warns Of Stringent Action Against Hoarders Amid Soaring Potato Price

Bhubaneswar: With potato price skyrocketing in Odisha, the state government on Friday warned that stringent action will be taken against traders indulging in hoarding and black marketing.

Amid soaring prices of vegetables, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra took stock of the situation and visited a potato godown at Aiginia in Bhubaneswar.

After a thorough review of the market situation, the Minister said necessary steps will be taken to safeguard the interest of consumers and stringent will also be initiated against hoarders and black marketers.

Stating that there is adequate stock of potatoes in the state which can cater to the needs for seven to eight days, Patra said stringent action will be taken against some traders who are responsible for creating an ‘artificial scarcity’ that led to price rise.

While supply of potatoes from West Bengal has come to a halt, traders in Odisha should not try to take advantage of the situation, he said.

The Minister further said that an important meeting has been convened to address the situation and necessary action will be taken to keep the price under control. The government will import potato from Uttar Pradesh, if necessary, Patra said.

Blaming the previous BJD government for the present situation, he said potato and onion missions failed in the state, while the previous regime failed to boost infrastructure like cold storages and raise potato and onion production in the state.

It may be noted that the retail price of potato has touched Rs 45-50 per kg in the market putting huge burden on the common people. Potato was available in the market at around Rs 30 per kg on July 20. However, the price has almost doubled now.