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Faced by a plunge in potato prices due to over-production, leading to suicides by farmers in certain districts, the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley seeking Central help, including loan waiver for 4.13 lakh farmers.
Prices of potato have crashed to ₹3-5 a kg in the State, creating an uncertain future for farmers, who are going in for distress sales.
According to some reports, so far some 17 farmers have committed suicide in the State.
In the letter, the Chief Minister has urged the Centre to procure potatoes from the State for use in the Integrated Child Development Scheme and the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, according to sources.
She urged the Finance Minister to ask Central agencies to procure at least one lakh tonnes of the crop.
In addition, Banerjee has sought transport subsidy for inter-State transfer of the tuber through the Indian Railways, as well as subsidy on export of potato from Kolkata Port.
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