Why West Bengal has stopped potato supplies to Odisha, Jharkhand, causing unease, political row

It is a versatile vegetable that finds itself in varied dishes and is an especially popular feature of cuisine in eastern states — aloo posto In West Bengal (or for that matter Kolkata biryani, which is defined by the potato), aloo chokha in Jharkhand, and dahibara aludam that is one of the most popular delicacies in Odisha. Now, the humble aloo is at the centre of the latest crisis confronting the West Bengal government, with the neighbouring states of Jharkhand and Odisha feeling the repercussions. 

Since last week, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government has stopped the export of potatoes to its neighbouring states, causing the price of the vegetable to shoot up there. Traders in Bengal initially started an indefinite strike on Tuesday but after receiving state Agri-Marketing Minister Becharam Manna’s assurance that he would talk to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee about lifting the restrictions, a body of potato traders said normal operations would resume from Wednesday evening. 

The Bengal government has said that since the potato harvest happened late this year — because of delayed rainfall — the state has to depend on the cold storage supply till January and, given lower production this year, there is not enough to go around. Manna on Tuesday told the Assembly that the government was not ready to lift the restrictions.

Becharam Manna:

"In 2023, 63.58 lakh tonnes of potatoes went to cold storage whereas this year it was 58.84 lakh tonnes. Till January, we have to depend on this as our harvesting was late this year also. So, to meet the demand in the state till then, we have to continue the restrictions on potato transportation to other states. But the traders are blackmailing us. We will not bow down before them."

Manna also targeted the BJP-led Centre.

Becharam Manna:

"Some dishonest traders with the backing of the BJP government at the Centre exported potatoes to Bangladesh in the first week of November. Potatoes were sent to Bangladesh through the Mahadipur check post in Malda district, the Hili check post in Dakshin Dinajpur, and the Changrabandha checkpoint in Cooch Behar."

Later in the day, the minister told PTI. 

Becharam Manna:

"The strike was called off later in the day by the potato traders’ association. We told them that the government would listen to their grievances if they maintain supplies."

According to the Agri-Marketing department, West Bengal produces 90-100 lakh tonnes of potato every year with the annual consumption in the state being about 60 lakh tonnes. The rest is for cold storage or export to other states and even Bangladesh. West Bengal is the second-largest producer of potatoes in the country after Uttar Pradesh and states such as Jharkhand and Odisha depend on it to meet its demand. According to 2021-22 data from the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, while UP comprises 30% of the total potato production in India, West Bengal is second at 23%.

Becharam Manna:

"Even when production was in surplus, we faced difficulties between the second half of December and January 15 as potatoes in cold storage were sent out and new potatoes were not available in time because of the late harvest. Only when potatoes from Uttar Pradesh and Punjab entered the state after the first week of January, our demands were met. This time, the state government is trying to avoid this scarcity that lasts about a month as potato production was lower than usual."

Dilip Pratihar, Association secretary of West Bengal Progressive Potato Traders:

"We have sufficient potatoes in cold storage to meet our demand but the state government has artificially created a scarcity and stopped the supply to other states. We demand that the government allow us to supply potatoes to other states."

Earlier on Tuesday, a senior state administration official warned that the government would wait for two to three days before it starts "seizing potatoes from cold storage under the Essential Commodities Act and distributing in the market". 

Dilip Pratihar:

"We proposed to traders that they supply the cold storage potatoes for INR 24 (USD 0.28) per kg but they refused. They are hoarding so that the price of the vegetable increases in the retail market. The government won’t tolerate this."

What’s happening in Jharkhand, Odisha

Caught in the middle are Jharkhand and Odisha, with the supply disruption causing the price to shoot up from INR 32-33 (USD 0.38-0.39) per kg to INR 45-50 per kg (USD 0.53-0.59) in retail markets in Odisha in the last two days.

Market sources said Odisha requires over 13 lakh tonnes of potatoes annually, importing around 90% of its requirement as production is limited to small pockets in Kandhamal, Koraput, and Kalahandi. The state government said the government was in constant touch with Bengal officials to resolve the problem.

Sanjay Singh, Secretary at Odisha’s Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare:

"The Chief Secretary has done two meetings with the Chief Secretary of West Bengal. I have also discussed the issue with the secretaries of the civil supplies and agricultural marketing departments. They said they were working on the issue."

In Jharkhand, Chief Minister Hemant Soren, whose party Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) is a close ally of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), has also cognizance of reports of the vehicles ferrying potatoes being stopped at the Bengal border.

Hemant Soren:

"The Chief Minister has directed the Chief Secretary to resolve the matter. After the intervention of the Jharkhand Chief Secretary his counterpart in West Bengal has assured us of the early disposal of the matter through a committee which has specifically been formed for the purpose."

Political slugfest

The matter also took on a political colour, with the BJP targeting the TMC in West Bengal and the BJP and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) trading barbs in Odisha.

Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of Opposition at West Bengal:

"The state government cannot take such an undemocratic decision. It has failed to stop black marketing in this state. The government has no practical sense about agriculture and potato farmers are paying the price for that."

In Odisha, the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD took aim at the Mohan Majhi-led government for its “failure” to control the price of essential commodities.

Pramila Mallik, chief whip at BJD:

"The state government is not at all concerned about the problems of the common man. Instead of making fake claims on media, it should clarify the timeframe for stabilising the price of potatoes."

BJP MLA Saroj Padhi criticised the previous government led by Patnaik, which was in power from 2000 till the middle of this year, for not taking any steps to increase potato production and creating storage facilities. Last week, Odisha’s Food Supplies Minister Krushna Chandra Patra took a dig at the former CM

Krushna Chandra Patra:

"I don’t know why West Bengal is repeatedly doing such things. I have no idea about the relationship between the brother and sister (a reference to Patnaik and Mamata Banerjee). The sister may have taken such steps following suggestions from her brother. But this shouldn’t happen."