KOLKATA: Holding the Mamata Banerjee Government responsible for the serial suicides by Bengal farmers, the Opposition Left Front on Saturday demanded immediate steps to check the tragedy.
Addressing a press conference after a meeting of the Front, its Chairman Biman Basu said 25 farmers committed suicide in little more than three months making it an issue of grave concern. The Government’s stand is that none of these farmers died because of poor economic condition. But the reason they committed suicide is that they did not get remunerative prices for crops. They became debt-trapped as the Government did not procure crops at support price,” he said.
The Front Chairman said a number of agriculture labourers committed suicide as the panchayats became ‘dormant’ and no Government help was available under the Antordaya Annapurna scheme.
“The scheme for employment for hundred days is totally stopped and agriculture labourers are not getting jobs. If this trend continues then the crisis in agriculture would turn into a food crisis.
“The Government should immediately intervene into this leaving aside all other things,” he said.
Mr Basu alleged that absence of state support and welfare schemes also caused the recent deaths of nine tea garden workers in Jalpaiguri district. He said Left representatives from the state and district levels, besides those from the state Assembly would visit the affected areas to take first hand stock of the situation. (UNI)