Kolkata: Bengal government has fixed the new minimum support price for potatoes at Rs 900 a quintal. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday made the announcement after the Cabinet meeting at state secretariat Nabanna.
“We have decided to fix the new minimum support price for potatoes at Rs 900 a quintal to help the potato farmers and to ensure that they do not have to resort to distress sale of their products,” Banerjee told the media. She also said that her government will give a total Rs 321 crore as compensation under crop insurance scheme to the farmers whose crops have been damaged due to rains. Banerjee once again blamed the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) for releasing water from its dams affecting the farmers in various districts of Bengal. She also said that the state government has decided to purchase that affected potato from the farmer to ensure that they do not face any loss. “The state government has created a corpus of Rs 321 crore for providing crop insurance to the farmers. State government has already purchased potatoes which were damaged due to rains from the farmers. More potatoes will be procured and the stock will be diverted to the Sufal Bangla stalls. The decision was taken to help the farmers and potato growers overcome distress,” Banerjee said during a press conference.
The Bengal government has already started disbursing crop insurance cover to 9 lakh farmers in the state under ‘Bangla Shasya Bima’ (BSB) scheme. The financial assistance will be given to the farmers whose crops have been damaged due to adverse weather. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on social media last month had announced that her government started releasing funds.
Taking to her X handle, Banerjee expressed her happiness as her government started releasing the amount directly into the bank accounts of 9 lakh farmers.