Customers did not benefit from the cessation of potato exports

Asansol.

Despite the government’s continued strictness, the public has not gotten any benefit from potatoes. The price of potatoes in the market has remained the same for the past one month. The best selected Jyoti potato was being sold at Rs 35 per kg in markets outside Asansol and remains the same today. The price of potatoes in the Asansol market is two to three rupees less than other markets and remains the same today. The price of Garh potato (small, large and chopped whole mix) was Rs 28 to 30 earlier and is the same even today. Nearly 20 days after the state government imposed a ban on sending potatoes to other states, the situation remains the same. Meanwhile, Dalal Chakra’s silver is being cut at the edges. Similarly, the head of one such middleman ring, Jayant Adhikari alias Chiku Da, was arrested by the police from Kulti police station on Sunday evening. He was arrested for taking Rs 500 from trucks to cross the border as a customs clearance agent. Following a complaint by Chowringhee Police In-charge, Fandi, Kartik Chandra Bhuiyan, a case was registered against the accused under Section 308(2)/3(5) of BNS. After producing the accused before the court on Monday, one-day judicial remand was approved.

Police deployed on the border for surveillance

Regular checking of vehicles entering Bengal from Jharkhand is continuing at Duburi Naka, located on the Bengal-Jharkhand border on NH-19 in Kulti police station area. Bengal Police does not check vehicles leaving Bengal. Jharkhand Police is investigating this in its area. Police officials and civic volunteers are keeping vigil round the clock to stop the export of potatoes. The investigation was accelerated from Monday due to information that the middlemen ring is active. The number of guardrails has also been increased.

Truck breaks railing and flees, police officers are saved

Truck drivers, upset over the halt in export of Bengal potatoes, are losing their temper. On Monday, a truck driver broke the guardrail installed at the check post and escaped. During this time, the police personnel who were checking the vehicles narrowly escaped being run over by the truck. Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Sandeep Karra said that what was in the truck that broke the guardrail? This information has not been received. An FIR has been registered at Kulti police station based on the truck number.

Public and wholesale traders’ opinion on the price of potatoes.

Tejendra Singh, a resident and businessman of Rupnarayanpur Prantpalli area under Salanpur police station area, said that for the past one month he has been regularly buying potatoes at the rate of Rs 35 per kg from the Chittaranjan Amladahi market. On Sunday, two kg of potatoes were available for Rs 70. During the shortage in the market due to the strike in the meat packing sector, the price of potato had reached Rs 42 per kg but it again came down to Rs 35 per kg. Despite banning the export of potatoes and sending working parties to the markets, the public did not get any relief. Vivekananda Singh, a resident of Roopnarayanpur area, said that potatoes were sold early in the morning at Rs 34-35 at the cable stall and are still being sold even today. In the evening, the remaining traders sell the potatoes for Rs 30 and earn their livelihood. The government’s strictness did not make much of a difference. The Asansol-based potato wholesaler said there has been a fall of one rupee. At the time when exports stopped, Bankura potatoes were selling at an average of Rs 26 per kg and East Burdwan potatoes at Rs 28 per kg wholesale. Now potatoes are selling at Rs 27 wholesale and Rs 27 on Mondays.

Chiku admitted that he used to pass the potatoes by giving challan for Rs 500.

Asansol. Jayant Adhikari alias Chiku Da, a resident of Chalbalpur area, who was arrested for forcing a potato truck to cross the border by paying its challan of Rs 500, confessed to his crime. He told the police that the challan of Rs 500 found belonged to him. He used to help vehicles loaded with various goods to cross the border. He also gave the police the number NL-01AD/9232 of a vehicle loaded with potatoes, which he had taken for Rs 550. He also said that many of his friends are also involved in such work.

Disclaimer: This is the automated news feed of Prabhat Khabar newspaper. This has not been edited by the Prabhat Khabar.com team.