Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday sought Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s help to normalise the supply of potatoes to Odisha from Bengal.

The chief minister’s office, in a statement, said the potato supply to Odisha improved following Majhi’s talks with Mamata in Delhi in July last week. However, the supply constantly decreased, and Odisha faced a short supply of potatoes. Majhi urged Mamata to initiate measures so that the potato supply to Odisha was back to normal.

The CM’s office said the Bengal chief minister assured to initiate steps to resume the supply of the tuber to Odisha. The state has been facing an acute shortage of potatoes following Bengal’s ban on exporting potatoes to other states.

Majhi decided to take up the issue of potatoes following reports that the Bengal government has installed CCTVs along the border to check the movement of trucks carrying potatoes to Odisha.

Though Odisha attempted to overcome the potato crisis by importing potatoes from Uttar Pradesh, it still failed to control the market price.

Food supplies and consumer welfare minister Krushna Chandra Patra said: “We are hopeful that the situation will improve soon. We are in touch with the railways to bring more potatoes from Uttar Pradesh.”

However, people in Odisha prefer potatoes from Bengal compared to Uttar Pradesh. “The quality of potatoes is good in Bengal,” said a consumer, Gitarani Khatua.

Potatoes are being sold at high prices, varying from ₹50 to ₹60 per kg, at different places. To overcome the crisis, the state government, with the help of the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED), started selling potatoes for ₹100 per three kg.

This is the first major consumer-related crisis the Majhi government has faced after coming to power. However, the previous BJD government had faced similar crises several times.

Earlier in July, the leader of the Opposition and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik had sought the help of Mamata to overcome the potato crisis in Odisha. In a letter to Mamata, Naveen said: “Due to the rains, there has been a short supply of potatoes in
Odisha, resulting in an artificial price hike adding to the sufferings of the common man.”

“On earlier similar occasions, your noble gesture has earned the love and affection of our people. People of Odisha and West Bengal have strong cultural bonds and we are all devotees of mahaparabhu Sri Jagannath,” Naveen said in his letter.

He further said: “I request you to kindly intervene in the matter and ensure a smooth supply of potatoes to Odisha.”