West Bengal state government (India) to curb spike in prices of potatoes

The West Bengal state government (India) has chalked out 'a plan-of-action' to take strict steps to ensure a check on skyrocketing of potato prices. The potato price has skyrocketed to Rs 32 to Rs 35 per kg in the retail market. The state government had given seven days time to potato traders to fix its wholesale price to Rs 22 per kg so that it can be sold at Rs 25 per kg.

A meeting in this regard was held at Nabanna on August 28. Though four days have passed, the price of potato in the retail market is yet to come down to Rs 25 per kg. According to a senior officer, a plan of action has been chalked that cannot be divulged at present.

But steps will be taken as per the plan if we do not find that the price has rolled back to Rs 25 per kg in the retail market. A high level meeting would be held on Wednesday in this connection in which the next course of action will be discussed.

Already, teams comprising officers of the state Agriculture Marketing department and Enforcement Branch have been formed and they are carrying out their tasks at districts including Hooghly, Burdan and Jalpaiguri to ensure sale of the same at Rs 22 per kg at the wholesale markets.

The associations of potato traders were already informed in an August 28 meeting that the Enforcement Branch and the police will be taking strict measures if it is sold above Rs 22 per kg in the wholesale market. A close watch is being maintained on the situation and steps will be taken accordingly, said the officer.