Potato crisis in Odisha resolved after Naveen Patnaik speaks to Mamata Banerjee

The potato crisis has been resolved in Odisha, with neighbouring state West Bengal lifting curbs on the movement of tuber laden trucks to state.

Hundreds of West-Bengal bound fish and eggs-laden trucks, which were stopped on the Odisha side of the border by BJD activists in protest against curbs on potato-laden trucks to the state, were also allowed to move out.

"The West Bengal government has allowed movement of potato-laden trucks detained at its border from 11 am today. While some vehicles have already reached here including Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, others will reach at different places of the state soon," Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Sanjay Dasburma said.

Dasburma said the crisis was resolved after Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik spoke to his West Bengal counterpart yesterday.

Stating that the potato procured though NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India) would reach the state by Wednesday, he said Odisha would put in place an action plan to resolve crisis arising out of potato shortage.

"We have allowed the fish trucks to West bengal after they agreed to send potato to Odisha," BJD MLA from Jaleswar Aswani Patra said.