LF asks state govt to announce minimum support price for jute

CPI(M) leader Anisur Rehman who led a six-member Left Front delegation to Agriculture minister Rabindranath Bhattacharya said that they demanded that the state government and Jute Corporation of India should be involved in jute procurement as middlemen had become active following drop in price.

He said that jute farmers were affected in south Bengal due to scanty rain causing a drop in production and growers were not getting the support price.

The CPI(M) leader said that they also urged the state government to take up with the Centre the issues of price rise of diesel, fertiliser and seeds in the interest of farmers and convert their short-term bank loan to long-term.

The Front delegation also called for steps to curb black-marketing of essential commodities and ensure alternative agriculture in areas hit by scanty rainfall.

Rehman said that the Agriculture minister assured to look into their demands and that the chief minister had already formed a task force to tackle price rise of vegetables and essential commodities.