The state government has always stood beside the potato growers and will continue to do so in future, Becharam Manna, minister for agriculture marketing said this morning. He inaugurated the 59th annual general meeting of West Bengal Cold Storage Association this morning.
Mr Pradip Mazumdar, state panchayat and rural development minister also attended the meeting. Mr Manna said the agriculture marketing department has studied the demand of the cold storage carefully and referred the matter to the chief minister Miss Mamata Banerjee for consideration.
“The file is with her office and a decision in the matter will be taken soon,” he remarked. He said over the years, the maintenance of cold storages has gone up and also many equipments need replacement and felt that the rent of the cold storages need to be revised. Mr Rajesh Kumar Bansal, president of West Bengal Cold Storage Association said there is considerable enthusiasm among the potato growers and around 4.6 lakh hectare land has been cultivated in the current season.
He estimated around 110 lakh ton potato during the current season. The domestic consumption in Bengal is around 65 lakh ton and so the balance stock will be marketed outside the state. He requested the state government officials to frame a system for release of the stored stock at a uniform rate of 12 per cent each month during the unloading period. He felt that pan India data on cultivation, harvesting, storage and marketing should be collected and analysed and the stock should be monitored on a real time basis.
The association proposed that the Cold Storage Act 1966 should include duties of hires in respect of the quality of storable potato; simplification of processes to be observed for disposal of potato stock left in the store units after the end of storage season and extension of validity of sold storage license to five years.