With a state-wide strike called by poultry traders, supply of chickens is likely to be badly affected in the city and districts leading to its price hike.

This development comes at the backdrop of vegetable prices already pinching the pocket of the middle and lower middle class.

Considering the situation, the state animal resources development (ARD) department officials held a meeting with striking traders on Thursday and urged them to withdraw the strike, it’s learnt.

In protest against the alleged police atrocities on traders, West Bengal Poultry Traders Association (WBPTA) has called a state-wide strike on and from Thursday for an indefinite period, affecting the supply of poultry in open market.

The agitating members of the association alleged that police are fleecing from vehicles like matador vans carrying poultry birds, particularly at late night. Police also beat up drivers and traders if the latter refused to pay money to the former.

Vehicles carrying birds from poultry farms unload at chicken shops in open markets in the wee hours every day. The WBPTA runs around 4,500 such vehicles across the state everyday.

On 12 July, a helper of a matador van, loaded with birds, was beaten up severely at Belda in West Midnapore district when he refused to cough up Rs 500 demanded by a policeman, who was on duty at the spot. The helper sustained severe injury and was admitted to a nearby hospital, the association alleged.

It also alleged that the poultry traders are facing the trouble of police atrocities for months but concerned administrations in the districts have not taken any action to stop the harassment.

“We have called a strike from Thursday, demanding safety and security for our drivers, helpers and other support staff. Police are yet to take action against the police involved in the Belda incident.

Bengal requires around 2.20 crore kg chickens to meet up its weekly demands on an average. There might be a crisis in supply of chickens, leading to price hikes in the state if the strike continues, a poultry businessman said.

On the other hand, West Bengal Poultry Federation does not support the strike called by the WBPTA.

“We strongly condemn the Belda incident on 12 July. We have urged the West Midnapore district police administration to take punitive action against the police personnel involved in the incident.

The administration has already taken proper action in this regard but we do not support the strike,” Madan Maiti, secretary of the federation, told The Statesman.

“Why will the consumers suffer? What’s their crime? I don’t think that this strike is logical,” Mr Maiti added.