The BJP has criticized the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) regarding the deteriorating conditions of potato farmers in West Bengal, citing restrictive export policies. BJP State President and Rajya Sabha member Shamik Bhattacharya told the media on Thursday that local farmers are unable to sell their produce to other states due to restrictions imposed by the state government. He noted that while potatoes grown in Bengal were previously exported to Odisha, these current restrictions have blocked farmers from accessing those markets.

 

Furthermore, Bhattacharya claimed that illegal sand mining is causing Bengal’s rivers to change course, leading to the submergence of fertile agricultural land. He alleged that paddy farmers are being hit the hardest by this environmental degradation.