Jamshedpur: Villagers in Galudih blocked vegetable-laden trucks from entering the state on Friday, retaliating against West Bengal's restrictions on potato transportation across the state border.
Residents of Dumkakocha village blocked the state highway connecting Jharkhand and Bengal, halting approximately 10 mini trucks carrying various vegetables, including tomatoes, cauliflower, brinjal, coriander leaves and cabbage.
The protest erupted after Bengal police at the Bandwan check post reportedly seized potato seeds from carriers heading to Jharkhand on Thursday. Villagers argued that if Bengal restricts potato transport, vehicles carrying vegetables from Bengal should not be allowed into Jharkhand.
In a reciprocal action, Bengal villagers at Sani village under Bandwan police station blocked their end of the road, preventing vehicles from Jharkhand from entering their territory. They even restricted workers travelling to Bandwan, citing similar grievances about movement restrictions.
Responding to the situation, police forces from both Galudih and Bandwan arrived at their respective locations to mediate. Kumar Indresh, Galudih police station in-charge, said, "There's no prohibition on ferrying potatoes from Bengal for personal use; the ban only applies to commercial transportation. We've also informed villagers that potato seeds can be freely brought from Bengal."
The Bengal police contingent was led by Bandwan thana in-charge, Md Montaz Sheikh. The blockade, which lasted over five hours, caused significant vehicle congestion on both sides of the state highway before authorities successfully convinced protesters to remove the roadblocks.