Potato farmer commits suicide in Bengal, toll rises to 8

One more potato farmer committed suicide at his home at Dhupguri in the district today after allegedly failing to repay loans he had taken to cultivate the vegetable.
Nritya Gopal Burman, 45, took his life by hanging himself at his home at Nathua under Dhupguri block this morning, police said, adding, his was the first such case of suicide in north Bengal.
The farmer was unhappy as he could not sell the crop at remunerative prices.
With this, a total of eight potato farmers took the extreme step in West Bengal in the past fortnight, seven of them in the southern district of Burdwan, though one of them was a resident of Birbhum district.

The police quoted the deceased's family members as saying that Burman had sown potato in his land and had taken loans from various banks for the purpose.
Dhupguri BDO Soumen Dutraj confirmed the death.
Potato farmers had last week blockaded NH 31 at Dhupguri protesting against non-availability of potato bonds, which would enable them to store their produce in cold storages.