: With reports of farmers committing suicide over the agrarian distress caused by a bumper potato crop in West Bengal, the BJP government on Thursday decided to send a high-level team to the State in the coming days.
On Thursday, a farmer in Malda district allegedly committed suicide by consuming pesticide. This is the first such incident in the district. Earlier reports of farmers committing suicide have come from districts of south Bengal such as Hooghly, Bardhaman and Paschim Medinipur.
The farmer from Malda district identified as Bhabesh Ray had taken a loan from local moneylenders. Another incident of a farmer allegedly committing suicide was reported from Dhupguri block in Jalpaiguri district.
On Wednesday, a delegation of the Left Front Legislature Party met Governor K.N. Tripathi and demanded that the West Bengal government should purchase all potato produce in support price and provide compensation to the families of the farmers who have taken the extreme step.
