In West Bengal, opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari has alleged that potato farmers in Singur and nearby districts are facing losses due to the state government's failure to meet its procurement commitments. Speaking at a sit-in protest organised by the Bharatiya Janata Kisan Morcha in Ratanpur, Singur, Adhikari stated that more than 85% of local residents rely on agriculture, with potatoes as the main cash crop.
Adhikari claimed that the state had promised to buy 22 million bags of potatoes at 15 Indian rupees (about US$0.18) per kg by February but had purchased only a few thousand bags before halting the process. Potatoes are currently selling for around 12 Indian rupees (about US$0.14) per kg in Ratanpur, which he said results in losses of at least 3 Indian rupees (about US$0.04) per kg after accounting for cold storage, transport, and drying costs.
According to Adhikari, West Bengal produced 14 million metric tons of potatoes this season, against a domestic requirement of six million metric tons. He said farmers could not sell surplus produce outside the state because of police restrictions at state borders, which he claimed allowed producers from Uttar Pradesh and Punjab to supply those markets instead.
He also criticised the government's approach to the Singur land issue after Tata Motors exited a proposed project in the area, stating that soil quality had been affected by construction materials. He said that promised mustard cultivation and fish farming efforts had failed.
On the topic of central government benefits, Adhikari questioned why 50 million farmer families in the state were receiving assistance under the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme when he said 83 million were eligible, alleging that most of the 33 million excluded were Hindus. He also claimed that the state's Krishak Bandhu scheme excluded many sharecroppers by not recording their details.
While acknowledging that the central government provides US$4.44 billion annually in fertiliser subsidies, Adhikari alleged that prices for a bag of fertiliser had increased from 1,200 Indian rupees (about US$14.40) to 2,500 Indian rupees (about US$30) in the state without action from authorities.
He urged farmers to maintain pressure on the government until procurement commitments were met and reiterated his party's pledge to address these issues if elected, stating that farmer dues would be paid within six months of forming a government.
Source: abp Live
