Kolkata: Amid the spiraling prices of potato, in a move that is set to bring smiles for the common man, the state Agricultural Marketing department has coordinated with the district administration to put up 190 temporary counters in different parts of the state so that people can purchase potatoes at a subsidised rate.
The district magistrates has fixed the locations in their respective districts for setting up of such temporary counters which is being done through the Sufal Bangla division of the department. The price of potatoes has climbed upto Rs 40/kg in the market and the Chief Minister has instructed concerned officials to take necessary measures to sell potatoes at subsidised rates from Sufal Bangla outlets. "We have already set up 190 such temporary stalls and by Sunday another 78 stalls will be set up. A person will have to collect coupon from the counter and then stand in a queue for buying potatoes. A maximum of 3 kg can be purchased and the price is Rs 25 per kg," said a senior official of state Agricultural Marketing department.
Potatoes at Rs 25 per kg is also being sold from the existing 332 Sufal Bangla outlets across the state which includes both static and mobile stalls.
The Chief Minister in February, had directed the concerned officers to initiate procurement of 10 lakh tonne potatoes so that it could later be distributed among people at a minimum price possible. The concerned department had initiated procurement of the same through cold storages. But it had become possible to procure 45,000 tonne of potatoes. According to a senior officer it had not become possible to procure more as the entire mechanism had come to a standstill due to the nationwide lockdown on March 24.
A senior state government official said: "It is just because of the far sightedness of the Chief Minister it is becoming possible to help people get potato at Rs 25 per kg when it is being sold at Rs 40 per kg in open market." Meanwhile, the Enforcement Branch (EB) of Kolkata Police conducted surprise raids at the city markets for regulating the price of onions and potatoes. The EB officials informed that the markets were visited by the Inspectors of the department to enforce the West Bengal Onion (Storage Control) Order. On Friday the EB teams visited 45 markets including retail and wholesale.
The storage situations of both retail and wholesale markets were checked and shop owners were sensitised.
The shop owners have been instructed not to sell onions and potatoes along with other vegetables at a high price and not to store huge quantities of onions, potatoes and vegetables which may lead to a price hike.