Thaindian News

Kolkata, Jan 19 (IANS) Contesting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s claim that not a single farmer has committed suicide in West Bengal because of agricultural debt, the opposition Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Thursday said 23 farmers had taken their lives since she came to power eight months ago.

“The chief minister has said not a single farmer has committed suicide due to agricultural debt. We have got details, including names, addresses, the ages of 23 farmers and the date of their suicides,” opposition leader Surjya Kanta Mishra told mediapersons here.

He was responding to Banerjee’s comments at the Trinamool Congress Panchayati Raj Sammelan that none of the farmers committed suicide due to agricultural debt or because of land. “The farmers who have committed suicide have died because of personal loans and family reasons,” she claimed.

Mishra told the chief minister to base her comments on correct reports, and announced that Left Front leaders would go to the places where the suicides took place.

The leader of opposition in the state assembly ridiculed Banerjee for saying that she had no idea before forming the government about the escalation in fertiliser prices. “She was a central government minister when most of the fertilisers were decontrolled. We had then opposed the policy. I had written to the prime minister also.”

Mishra also countered Banerjee’s contention that some of the farmers who committed suicide had taken crores of personal loan from banks. “I don’t know how a farmer can get crores of bank loan. Maybe the chief minister made the comment for comment’s sake. I am not giving any importance to it.”

“She is a rare sample who has served as important minister in both United Progressive Alliance and National Democratic Alliance governments. It is true that the central government’s policies are primarily responsible for farmer suicides. So she cannot shirk off her responsibility.”

He also expressed his reservations about Banerjee’s announcement that all farmers must have Kisan Credit Cards. “There are many gram panchayats which do not have any banking facilities. The government has to decide what is practicable at this moment.”

Mishra demanded that the government appoint a Lokayukta in the state. “For this, a state act is already there. We had appointed a Lokayukta. But then due to shortage of available judges, we could not continue it.”

“But now she has appointed so many commissions. So she can always appoint one former justice as Lokayukta,” he said.