Bhubaneswar, Oct. 3: The indefinite nationwide strike called by the All India Motor Transport Congress has started to make its impact on the availability of the essential commodities in the state, especially on the perishable goods.

The consumers are worried as the prices are likely to shoot from Monday.

"Ours is not a producing and manufacturing state. So, we depend upon procurement of all essential commodities, be it potato, onion, dal, fish, chicken, egg, vegetables, fruits or anything else from other states. The truck strike, therefore, has its impact on the supply of these commodities," said Odisha Byabasayee Mahasangh general secretary Sudhakar Panda.

The motor transport congress had called for the indefinite strike from October 1 to press for its demand for removal of tollgates from the country.

Panda said he had asked all the district units to keep adequate stocks ahead of the truck strike to ensure availability of essential commodities. "I appeal the government to take the traders into confidence and ensure the availability of essential commodities in adequate quantity," he said.

Panda also appealed to the consumers not to go for panic buying, which would create artificial scarcity of the commodities.

Panda said scarcity of fish, eggs, potato, onion and raw vegetables would be felt first as these are perishable goods. "The government should ensure the preservation of these commodities in cold storages. The truckers should also exempt these commodities," he said.

An Odisha State Truck Owners' Association member said essential commodities and perishable goods such as milk, vegetables and medicine had been kept off the strike's purview.

Joint secretary of the Cuttack Chamber of Commerce Srikant Sahoo said the strike had affected the loading and unloading of essential commodities at Malgodown, the largest wholesale market of the state. "We have booked orders for the goods. But as the trucks are not coming, the loading and unloading at Malgodown have stopped. The labourers are sitting idle," he said.

Sahoo said: "If the strike continues for a longer period, it will have an adverse impact on the supply of essential commodities within a couple of days."

Besides an association member said that as the state was dependent on its neighbouring states for commodities such as egg, potato, onion and vegetables, the strike would create artificial shortage of these commodities.

Kuberpuri Merchants' Association general secretary Shakti Shankar Mishra said only 20 trucks had come on Thursday to the wholesale godown in the city, but no truck had come thereafter. The potato-laden trucks from Bengal have been stranded near Balasore, he said, adding that 25 truckloads of potato (around 400 metric tonnes) used to come to the godown every day before the strike.

"The stock has been exhausted. Whatever local produces come to the godown they are being exhausted within a few minutes. These potatoes are also drenched and of substandard quality," said Mishra.

In another development, the potato prices have gone up in the city. While the price was Rs 7 to Rs 7.50 on September 30, it soared up to Rs 15 to Rs 16 a kg in the wholesale market and to Rs 25 in the retail market.

Chhatra Bazar Traders' Association president Debendra Sahu said: "The vegetables and potato stocks are about to be exhausted. The situation will be precarious within a day or two as the festive season approaches fast," he said.

The Dwitiya festival, during which the people of the state prepare mixed vegetable dish, will be held on Monday.

The traders rued that both the central and state governments did not hold meetings with the traders to take contingency measures even though the truckers had given notice months before the strike.