SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Nov 29: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has banned potato supply to Dhanbad and other districts of Jharkhand starting Thursday.
Bengal police officials stationed at the Debudih check post, located on the Bengal-Jharkhand border, around 48 km from district headquarters, turned back all potato-laden trucks headed to Dhanbad from Asansol.
The officials cited directives from senior state government authorities, stating that the restriction aims to control the rising price of potatoes in West Bengal.
In West Bengal, potatoes are sold at ₹25 per kg, whereas the price in Dhanbad’s open market ranges from ₹30 to ₹35 per kg.
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No impact of ban in Dhanbad
According to potato traders in Dhanbad, around 38 to 40 trucks of potatoes are supplied daily to the district, including areas like Katras, Jharia, Dhanbad Sadar, Govindpur, and Nirsa. Most of this supply comes from various districts in Bengal.
Despite repeated attempts, Dhanbad ADM (Supply) Ziyaul Ansari could not be contacted for comments on the ongoing potato crisis.
Potato traders in Dhanbad have stated that the current ban is unlikely to affect the local market in the short term due to alternative supplies from Uttar Pradesh. Potatoes are brought into Dhanbad and other districts of Jharkhand from areas like Farrukhabad, Mainpuri, Agra, and other UP districts.
“Till supply from Uttar Pradesh continues, there will be no impact on prices in the district despite the ban by the Bengal government. However, if a shortage arises in UP, prices will undoubtedly increase in Dhanbad,” said Rocky Kumar Saw, a wholesale potato trader from the coal belt region.
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Bengal traders oppose supply ban
Potato traders in Bengal have expressed strong opposition to the state government’s decision to restrict supply to Jharkhand.
Santosh Saw, a trader from Asansol, criticized the move, stating, “Potato production in the state (Bengal) has exceeded its requirements. So, there is no need to restrict the supply.”
He added, “Traders are facing massive losses due to the ban on supply to Jharkhand. So, the state government should either reduce the tax or allow the supply.”
