Kolkata, Nov 22 || With the prices of potatoes, the staple ingredient of any Bengali dish, skyrocketing, export of the vegetable from West Bengal to other states has been barred for the time being, it was announced on Friday.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the task force constituted by the state government to keep the prices of the essential food items in the retail markets of the state in check.
The ban on exports of potatoes from West Bengal will continue unless the price of the vegetable stabilises in the retail markets.
The decision comes just a day after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had expressed strong reservations about the export of potatoes and onions from West Bengal to other states without meeting the internal requirements within the state.
Stating that her government will act tough on the issue, she said when the state government is providing funds for insurance for the farmers she could not accept the export of such food items before meeting the internal demands in West Bengal.
On Monday, the members of the task force visited different retail markets in West Bengal and one of them expressed anguish over the differential prices of potatoes and onions in different markets.