Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Friday criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the previous BJD government for the ongoing potato crisis in the state.
Addressing the ‘Krushi Odisha 2025’ event, Majhi accused Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) government of withholding potato supplies to Odisha, further exacerbating the shortage.
“Facing a potato crisis in Odisha, we approached Mamata Didi, but in vain. She uses this as an opportunity to settle scores with us. Clearly, there is no ‘mamata’ (affection) in Mamata Didi for Odisha,” Majhi said. However, he did not provide details on how Banerjee was allegedly settling scores.
Majhi also targeted the former BJD government, blaming it for failing to make Odisha self-reliant in potato and onion production. Odisha depends heavily on West Bengal for potatoes, and any disruption in supply leaves the state vulnerable to shortages.
Deputy Chief Minister KV Singh Deo, who also spoke at the event, accused the TMC government of “blackmailing” Odisha by halting the movement of potato-laden trucks. He announced that the BJP government had initiated measures to boost local potato cultivation, including distributing 1.6 lakh kilograms of potato seeds to 1.80 lakh farmers in December 2024.
“In 2023, only 45,000 kilograms of potato seeds were distributed to farmers. This year, we aim to increase cultivation significantly,” said Singh Deo, who also holds the agriculture portfolio. He added that the government was developing cold storage facilities in 58 subdivisions to support farmers.
Majhi also took a swipe at the BJD’s agricultural initiatives, mocking the failed Potato Mission and Jackfruit Mission as examples of poor governance. “It’s like saying, ‘The operation was successful, but the patient is dead,’” he remarked.
Earlier, Odisha’s Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister, KC Patra, also criticized Mamata Banerjee for the potato crisis. Odisha requires around 10.21 lakh metric tonnes of potatoes annually but produces only 20 per cent of this amount.
Odisha needs around 10.21 lakh MT of potatoes in a year, and it produces only 20 per cent of its requirement.
Opposition BJD, however, rejected Majhi’s allegation that all the previous government’s missions failed.
“This is wrong to say that the previous government did nothing during its 24-year rule. When Naveen Patnaik came to power in 2000, Odisha’s milk production was 20 lakh litre per day which increased to 85 Lakh litre in 2024,” senior BJD leader and former Agriculture Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo said.
Similarly, egg production increased from 22 lakh per day to 90 lakh per day while fish output rose from 1.5 lakh MT to 11 lakh MT. For vegetables production, the increase in yield was from 50 lakh MT to 150 lakh MT, he said adding that Odisha became a rice surplus state.
Sahoo also demanded immediate assistance for farmers whose paddy crops were damaged by unseasonal rains.
He said, “The government must purchase all the paddy from farmers and provide them compensation without waiting for what the insurance company would do.”
PNN & Agencies
