Potato crops destroyed as West Bengal govt failed to warn farmers: Suvendu Adhikari

Howrah: The West Bengal government failed to warn farmers about the unseasonal rains, which damaged potato crops across the southern region of the state, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari claimed on Friday.

Adhikari visited some potato farms in Uluberia in Howrah district, and assessed the crop losses.

"Potato farmers all across the state received a financial blow as their crops were ruined by the unseasonal rains over the last three days. They could not take any precautions in the absence of a warning from the Agriculture Department," he said.

"I am not blaming the government for the natural calamity. However, the department concerned failed to issue warnings to the farmers. They were busy with organising festivals," he said.

Adhikari, a BJP leader, said the government must distribute fast-growing high-quality potato seeds among the farmers for free so that some part of their losses are covered.

He said that the farmers could not get the benefit of the central crop insurance scheme as the Mamata Banerjee government had opted out of it and introduced its own crop insurance, which was a non-starter.

TMC's Deputy Chief Whip in the assembly Tapas Roy told PTI that the Agriculture Department did everything possible to help farmers.

"It will certainly take steps to deal with the situation as this government always stands by the farmers in every situation. Suvendu is doing cheap politics over the issue," he claimed.