Sir — This harvest season in West Bengal witnessed a bumper potato crop. The harvest was so plentiful that the cold storages could not lift the entire stock from the field. The State Government did not come to the rescue of poor farmers by purchasing potatoes at the Minimum Support Price. Now, there are reports that potato farmers are committing suicide. When the price of potato sky-rocketed a few years ago, the Government banned the export of potatoes to other States. Now, the situation has reversed and the export ban must be lifted.
Also, while the Government has ignored the farmers’ plight, it protects the interests of Kolkata hawkers. It has offered them licences that allow business on not just the footpaths but also on the roads!