Potato Politics: Odisha Faces Crisis as West Bengal Halts Supply

The Chief Minister of Odisha, Mohan Charan Majhi, has blamed West Bengal's Mamata Banerjee for the ongoing potato crisis in Odisha. Dependent on West Bengal for potato supply, Odisha suffers when the neighboring state cuts supply. Initiatives to boost local production are underway to avoid future shortages.

Odisha's reliance on West Bengal for potatoes has sparked a crisis, leading Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to criticize West Bengal's chief, Mamata Banerjee. Majhi accuses her of halting supplies, thereby escalating the scarcity in Odisha.

Addressing an agricultural event, Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo echoed this sentiment, accusing Banerjee's government of "blackmailing" by stopping potato-laden trucks, leaving Odisha in distress.

Initiatives are now in place to expand local cultivation, including distributing 1.6 lakh kg of seeds to farmers, aiming to reduce dependence and mitigate future shortages.

(With inputs from agencies.)