NEW DELHI — The ongoing inter-state dispute over potato supply between West
Bengal and Jharkhand reached Parliament on Tuesday. Hazaribagh BJP MP Manish
Jaiswal brought up the issue in the Lok Sabha, urging the Union government to
intervene in the matter.
Jaiswal emphasised that West Bengal's blockade on potato
shipments to Jharkhand has disrupted the staple diet of many and caused a
significant rise in the vegetable's prices.
He criticised the move, calling it a violation of
inter-state trade regulations and a serious matter affecting the poor.
The West Bengal government has banned the supply of
potatoes to other states. This has deeply impacted the markets of Jharkhand
which depend on West Bengal for at least 60 per cent of potato consumption
throughout the year.
The resulting shortfall has pushed prices of popular
varieties like Jyoti and Chandramukhi up to Rs 35-42 per kg in retail markets,
an increase of INR 5-10 in just a week in Jharkhand.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren instructed Chief
Secretary Alka Tiwari to engage with West Bengal's Chief Secretary Manoj Pant
on the issue. They spoke to each other but to no effect. The ban remains in
place.
The issue also surfaced in the Bengal Assembly on Monday,
where West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee defended the restrictions. She
asserted that unregulated shipments of potatoes and onions were causing price
surges within the state.
CM Banerjee stressed the priority of ensuring adequate
supply for Bengal residents, stating, “We are the second-largest potato
producer in the country, yet profiteering is forcing our people to pay higher
prices. This will not be allowed. Before sending potatoes and onions to other
states, Bengal will have to be given priority.”
Adding to the tension, the West Bengal Progressive Potato
Traders' Association has announced an indefinite strike from Tuesday after
failed negotiations with Agricultural Marketing Department Minister Becharam
Manna. The traders demand clarity on when the state government will lift the
restrictions.
If traders continue their strike, there is apprehension
that the price of this staple vegetable in West Bengal might skyrocket further
in the coming days.
This is the second time in little over three months that
the potato traders in the state, under the auspices of the Progressive Potato
Traders’ Association, have called for a strike.
The last time they called for a strike was in August. An
association office bearer pointed out that currently around 6.5 lakh metric
tonnes of potatoes are there in cold storages in the state, which is much
higher than the internal requirement of 3 lakh metric tonnes in December.
