People buy vegetables and essential commodities at a market in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Oct. 8: The state administration has instructed all district authorities to keep tabs on stocking of essential commodities and panic buying with the impending threat of cyclone.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted that cyclone Hudhud in the Bay of Bengal will transform into a severe cyclonic storm within the next 24 hours.

The cyclone prediction has also led to panic buying of essential commodities and vegetables by public. Although the cyclone is predicted to hit south Odisha, people have already started buying stuff in other parts of the state as well.

“When I came to the market today, I found potato and other essential commodities already sold out. Whatever was available was sold at a higher price. Currently potato is selling at Rs 35 to Rs 40 per kg,” said Muktikant Mohanty, a resident of Baramunda.

Food supplies and consumer welfare (FSCW) secretary Madhusudan Padhee appealed to people not to resort to panic buying. He said the state had enough food stocked for people and they should avoid purchasing items in a huge quantity.

“We have kept enough rice, kerosene, potato, onion, sugar, pulses and other items ready. People should not purchase for months, as that will help dishonest traders to resort to hoarding. Besides, the district collectors have been told to keep tabs on the arrangements and ensure there is no hoarding by local traders. If need be, they have been told to take the help of police,” said Padhee.

Khurda collector Niranjan Sahu said: “Strict action has already been initiated by the district administration. Two truckloads of potatoes were seized by the district officials. The seized items will be sold at government rate at Maitree outlets opened by the FSCW department.’’

Officials of the department today carried out two rounds of checks at Ainginia where the cold storages of the city are located.

“In a day Bhubaneswar needs 35 to 40 truckloads of potatoes. However, people themselves are going to Ainginia and demanding potato before the trucks are offloaded. This is affecting the law and order situation and therefore the truck operators are forced to divert their supplies to other places,’’ said additional civil supplies officer Subodha Mallick.

Mallick said that yesterday 40 truckloads of potatoes came to Ainginia, but today only six truckloads came as the people’s presence inside the godown complex forced the suppliers to divert their vehicles. Last year during Phailin, people also resorted to similar practice and it caused a crisis of supply in the godown.

City police officials today raided the potato storage facilities in the daily markets of Unit I and IV to avoid hoarding of essential commodities.

The people’s tendency to panic buying has also inspired many unscrupulous traders to resort to hoarding.

The Bhubaneswar and Cuttack Municipal Corporations have also been asked to be prepared to face the challenges in these two cities during the cyclone.

“It has been decided to deploy 150 motor pumps to ensure fast clearance of rain and waste water to prevent acute water logging conditions,” said municipal commissioner Gyana Das. All the motor pumps will be deployed at several low-lying areas as well as on various main storm water channels in the city from tomorrow.