The opposition Left Front on Friday urged the West Bengal Government to immediately announce the minimum support price for jute in accordance with the recommendations of the M. S. Swaminathan Commission.

The CPI (M) leader, Mr Anisur Rehman who led a six-member Left Front delegation to Agriculture Minister, Mr Rabindranath Bhattacharya, said that they demanded that the State Government and Jute Corporation of India be involved in jute procurement, as middlemen had become active following a decline in price.

He said that jute farmers were affected in south Bengal due to scanty rain, causing a drop in production and that growers were not getting the support price.

The CPI (M) leader said that they also urged the State Government to take up with the Centre the issues of price rise of diesel, fertiliser and seeds in the interest of farmers and convert their short-term bank loans to long-term ones.

The Front delegation also called for steps to curb black-marketing of essential commodities and ensure alternative agriculture in areas hit by scanty rainfall.

Mr Rehman said that the agriculture minister assured them that he would look into their demands and that the chief minister had already formed a task force to tackle the issue of price rise .

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