Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday came down heavily on the Narendra Modi government for procuring a paltry quantum of paddy from Bengal compared to other states.

Mamata also explained how the three farm laws introduced by the Centre would hurt the farmers in East Burdwan, a district known as Bengal’s rice bowl.

“You know Bengal is the highest paddy producing state with an annual production of 2.5 crore tonnes. The government of India procured 71 lakh tonnes of paddy from Uttar Pradesh, 64 lakh tonnes from Haryana, 82 lakh tonnes from Andhra Pradesh, 111 lakh tonnes from Telangana and 162 lakh tonnes from Punjab. Despite our farmers producing 2.5 crore tonnes paddy, the Centre procured less than one lakh tonne,” said Mamata in Burdwan town’s Mati Utsab.

Bengal has over 70 lakh farmers.

Sources in Nabanna said Mamata hit the nail on the head, with state farmers deprived of minimum support price of paddy for years as the Centre’s procurement target from Bengal is among the lowest.

“The figures provided by the chief minister might be incorrect in some cases, but the issue does not get diluted. For example, the state produces 165 lakh tonnes of paddy annually but only about 80,000 tonnes of paddy are procured by the central agencies,” said a senior government official.

Raising the issue of procurement in farm-dependent East Burdwan holds significance as farmers in Bengal face trouble in selling their produce at government-determined minimum support price.

“The state procures 43 lakh tonnes of paddy on an average every year to run the Khadya Sathi scheme. This means only about 25 per cent of produce is procured at minimum support price and most farmers are forced to sell off their produce at a much lower rate in the open market,” said an official.

Though the BJP is stung by the farmer protests against the three farm laws near Delhi borders, its leaders have been trying to turn the tables on Mamata by referring to Bengal’s delay in joining the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, a minimum income support scheme for farmers.

It was apparent that Mamata tried to counter the BJP’s campaign by saying the saffron party had been giving a raw deal to farmers for years.

“BJP will come before the polls and ask farmers to vote for them…Why will farmers vote for them?” she said at another rally at Kalna in the same district.

Mamata said the state government procured 49 lakh tonnes of paddy last year. “You don’t have to worry at all as we are procuring paddy from you. We will continue it in future also,” she said.

She said the three farm laws would create trouble for farmers. “The central government has passed three farm laws to help the corporate companies, who will forcibly take away all of your produce. You will have no freedom to keep your produce for the livelihood of your family. The farmers of Haryana and other states have understood this and are protesting. So, be united to stop the party in Bengal,” she said in Kalna.

“See what Modibabu is doing against farmers protesting against the laws in Delhi. They are putting up nails on the road to stop farmers,” she said.

Mamata spoke of steps by her government such as free crop insurance and issuance of Kisan Credit cards to nearly 80 per cent of the farmers.

Former IPS officer Humayun Kabir joined Trinamul during Mamata’s rally in Kalna.