Enforcement Branch officials have started raiding markets in several districts to keep a check on the price of potatoes against the backdrop of a steep and rapid rise in rates over the past few weeks.

Sources said the price of potatoes had climbed to Rs 30-40 a kg from Rs 15-20 a kg in the past two weeks.

“We have been conducting raids at the markets to check whether illegal hoarding of produce has increased the price of potatoes. We want to ensure that an artificial crisis does not push up the price,” said an EB official in Birbhum on Friday.

Raids are also being conducted in other south Bengal districts such as Bankura, Purulia and East Burdwan. District and EB officials are visiting markets posing as customers.

In addition to the teams from the districts, the state government has assigned a special team from Calcutta that has been visiting markets in districts and the outskirts of the city for the past few days.

“We have been informed that as the cold stores are yet to open, there is a supply crisis of potatoes in the market. Moreover, production was hit this year due to untimely rain,” agriculture minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay told The Telegraph recently.

He had said the price of potatoes would come down within a few days as cold stores would open from mid-May.

A section of traders pointed out that the abnormal hike in fuel prices had also impacted the price of potatoes as the cost of transportation had increased.

“Despite all these reasons, it is quite unnatural that the price of potatoes has reached Rs 40 a kg in Bengal, one of the major potato producers in the country. The EB has been given the task to find out whether any unfair means are being adopted to drive up the price,” said an official.

According to sources in the agriculture department, Bengal had produced around 30 per cent less potatoes this year compared to the average annual production of 110 lakh tonnes. Untimely rain in November damaged the crops badly, they said.

The sources said the crisis in the market would ease as potatoes from Uttar Pradesh have started reaching the markets of Bengal.

“Now, once the cold stores start releasing potatoes across Bengal, the price will come down,” an official said.