West Bengal to release potatoes to bring down prices

The West Bengal government Monday announced it will release six lakh tonnes of potatoes to arrest spiralling prices before the coming festive season.

'We have plans to release 6 lakh tonnes of potato, out of 9.7 lakh tonnes procured by the state agencies earlier to protect the farmers,' Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta told reporters on the sidelines of annual general meeting of the Bengal National Chamber of Commerce and Industries (BNCCI).

One lakh tonnes would be distributed through ration shops at Rs.6 per kilogram. These would be made available from October first week. The remaining five lakh tonnes would be released through normal trading channels.

Potato prices started rising after floods in parts of Uttar Pradesh, which is a major supplier of the commodity.