The Calcutta High Court today directed West Bengal government to state what steps it has taken to alleviate the condition of potato farmers in the state who are allegedly distressed by falling prices.
A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice Joymalyo Bagchi, directed the state government to file an affidavit in this regard by Tuesday when it would hear a petition seeking assistance from the government to the potato farmers.
The petitioner's counsel Rabishankar Chatterjee claimed that nine farmers have committed suicide after being unable to pay back lenders owing to the fall in prices.
While the cold storage capacity stands at 74 lakh tonnes for potatoes, approximately 1.20 crore tonnes were produced this year, leading to a glut in the market, Chatterjee claimed.
