State Agriculture minister raids border checkposts to probe potato export claims

Kolkata: State Agricultural Marketing minister Becharam Manna conducted surprise visits at four border areas in West Midnapore and Jhargram amidst allegations of potatoes being exported from Bengal.

The minister on Tuesday night visited Belda check post and conducted a raid at Bamanpukur check post at Dantan in West Midnapore. In the late night, he went to Sonakonia check post in Jaleshwar of Balasore district in Odisha, close to West Midnapore-Odisha border. A number of trucks use these borders to travel to Odisha.

Manna, accompanied by senior police officials of the district and his department officials, checked a number of trucks to see if potatoes were being exported.

On Wednesday morning, he visited Sonamukhi village border under Jamboni police station area in Jhargram.

“During my visit, we did not find any export of potatoes. However, in the last few days such attempts were thwarted by the police in a number of bordering check posts,” Manna said. He added more surprise raids are to be conducted in the next few days.

He added that since September 3 over 8.43 lakh metric tonnes of potatoes were exported to other states.

The minister hit out at the BJP-led Centre, alleging they had facilitated potato export to Bangladesh through Malatipur in Malda, Hili in South

Dinajpur and Changrabanda in Cooch Behar by keeping the state government in the dark.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had directed that potatoes and onions should first meet the demand of the people in Bengal. Export window can be opened after that.