Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 73
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Code Context


        trigger_error($message, E_USER_DEPRECATED);

    }
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 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php.'
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deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
App\Controller\ArtileDetailController::printArticle() - APP/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line 73
Cake\Controller\Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/src/Controller/Controller.php, line 610
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 120
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 94
Cake\Http\BaseApplication::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/BaseApplication.php, line 235
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/RoutingMiddleware.php, line 162
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/AssetMiddleware.php, line 88
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php, line 96
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51
Cake\Http\Server::run() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 98

Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 74
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Code Context


        trigger_error($message, E_USER_DEPRECATED);

    }
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 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php.'
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deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
App\Controller\ArtileDetailController::printArticle() - APP/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line 74
Cake\Controller\Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/src/Controller/Controller.php, line 610
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 120
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 94
Cake\Http\BaseApplication::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/BaseApplication.php, line 235
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/RoutingMiddleware.php, line 162
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/AssetMiddleware.php, line 88
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php, line 96
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51
Cake\Http\Server::run() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 98

Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Code Context
            if (Configure::read('debug')) {

                trigger_error($message, E_USER_WARNING);

            } else {
$response = object(Cake\Http\Response) {

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    <link rel="canonical" href="https://im4change.in/<pre class="cake-error"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr6803a5155121b-trace').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr6803a5155121b-trace').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none');"><b>Notice</b> (8)</a>: Undefined variable: urlPrefix [<b>APP/Template/Layout/printlayout.ctp</b>, line <b>8</b>]<div id="cakeErr6803a5155121b-trace" class="cake-stack-trace" style="display: none;"><a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr6803a5155121b-code').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr6803a5155121b-code').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Code</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="document.getElementById('cakeErr6803a5155121b-context').style.display = (document.getElementById('cakeErr6803a5155121b-context').style.display == 'none' ? '' : 'none')">Context</a><pre id="cakeErr6803a5155121b-code" class="cake-code-dump" style="display: none;"><code><span style="color: #000000"><span style="color: #0000BB"></span><span style="color: #007700">&lt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">head</span><span style="color: #007700">&gt;
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Baishakhi Ghosh sits at the threshold of her home at Kauri village in Bardhaman district with her new-born son, but breaks into tears as her mother feeds her a sweetmeat &amp;mdash; part of the rituals of bringing her first grandchild to the home for the first time. Alternating between wailing and consoling each other, the women of the household of Bhootnath Pal, a farmer who was found hanging from the branch of a tree on Saturday, do their best to come to terms with the tragedy.
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&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;em&gt;The last straw&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&amp;ldquo;He was overcome with worry these last few months. The thought of another addition to the family must have pushed him over the edge,&amp;rdquo; said Attanti Pal, Bhootnath&#039;s wife.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
The worry over his grandchild, born in by a cruel twist of fate just a day after Bhootnath committed suicide, may have been the last straw, but there is no denying the fact that he owed nearly Rs. 30,000 (Rs. 7,500 borrowed as an agricultural loan from the Bank of India more than two years ago, which remains unpaid, Rs. 10,000 taken from a local moneylender and sundry sums elsewhere) or that he had not received the money for the little surplus grain he had harvested this season.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Bhootnath joined a few other farmers from Kauri village to sell their grain to the rice mill on January 20 but they were not given any money. A day after his suicide, the cheque in the name of Swapan Pradhan was issued.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&amp;ldquo;We sold our paddy to the rice mill on January 6 and are yet to receive our cheques,&amp;rdquo; said another farmer from the village.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Bhootnath Pal is one of the 31 farmers, who according to media reports committed suicide in the State in the last four months. Twenty-one of these have been reported in Bardhaman district alone, considered the rice bowl of West Bengal.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
According to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee none of them, with the exception of one, is a farmer. &amp;nbsp;After a major disagreement with his father over the purchase of a pair of buffaloes, 20-year-old Prosenjit Mondal hanged himself from a tree. Prosenjit worked on the five bighas (less than two acres) of land &amp;ndash; two owned by his father and another three that they tilled for a landlord. Over the years, his father has run up a debt of Rs. 40,000.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Lower prices&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Already burdened with debt, farmers are being forced to sell their produce at prices much below those of last year. While small farmers like Bhootnath Pal and Prosenjit Mondal have always relied on middlemen to transport their grains to the rice mills, the prices offered by the traders this year are less than those of last year, even as the cost of fertilizers and pesticides has doubled in the same period.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&amp;ldquo;Last year the traders would give us up to Rs. 600 per sack (of 60 kg) of paddy. This year it was as low as Rs. 450,&amp;rdquo; said Khokon Mondal.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Bumper crop&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
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According to Food and Supplies Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, there has been a bumper crop of 150 lakh tonnes of paddy in West Bengal this season. As a result, the price of paddy in the open market has dropped substantially.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
The Left parties and the Congress have been stating that if the State government procured more grain, the farmers would be assured of the minimum support price of Rs. 1080 per quintal of paddy (Rs. 648 per sack of 60 kg) announced by the Centre.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
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However, Mr. Mallick claims that the State already procured over four lakh tonnes of rice, which is more than the three lakh tonnes that the previous Left Front government had procured. &amp;nbsp;
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&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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Baishakhi Ghosh sits at the threshold of her home at Kauri village in Bardhaman district with her new-born son, but breaks into tears as her mother feeds her a sweetmeat &amp;mdash; part of the rituals of bringing her first grandchild...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Baishakhi Ghosh sits at the threshold of her home at Kauri village in Bardhaman district with her new-born son, but breaks into tears as her mother feeds her a sweetmeat &amp;mdash; part of the rituals of bringing her first grandchild to the home for the first time. Alternating between wailing and consoling each other, the women of the household of Bhootnath Pal, a farmer who was found hanging from the branch of a tree on Saturday, do their best to come to terms with the tragedy.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The last straw&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;He was overcome with worry these last few months. The thought of another addition to the family must have pushed him over the edge,&amp;rdquo; said Attanti Pal, Bhootnath&#039;s wife.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;The worry over his grandchild, born in by a cruel twist of fate just a day after Bhootnath committed suicide, may have been the last straw, but there is no denying the fact that he owed nearly Rs. 30,000 (Rs. 7,500 borrowed as an agricultural loan from the Bank of India more than two years ago, which remains unpaid, Rs. 10,000 taken from a local moneylender and sundry sums elsewhere) or that he had not received the money for the little surplus grain he had harvested this season.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Bhootnath joined a few other farmers from Kauri village to sell their grain to the rice mill on January 20 but they were not given any money. A day after his suicide, the cheque in the name of Swapan Pradhan was issued.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;We sold our paddy to the rice mill on January 6 and are yet to receive our cheques,&amp;rdquo; said another farmer from the village.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Bhootnath Pal is one of the 31 farmers, who according to media reports committed suicide in the State in the last four months. Twenty-one of these have been reported in Bardhaman district alone, considered the rice bowl of West Bengal.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;According to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee none of them, with the exception of one, is a farmer. &amp;nbsp;After a major disagreement with his father over the purchase of a pair of buffaloes, 20-year-old Prosenjit Mondal hanged himself from a tree. Prosenjit worked on the five bighas (less than two acres) of land &amp;ndash; two owned by his father and another three that they tilled for a landlord. Over the years, his father has run up a debt of Rs. 40,000.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Lower prices&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Already burdened with debt, farmers are being forced to sell their produce at prices much below those of last year. While small farmers like Bhootnath Pal and Prosenjit Mondal have always relied on middlemen to transport their grains to the rice mills, the prices offered by the traders this year are less than those of last year, even as the cost of fertilizers and pesticides has doubled in the same period.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;Last year the traders would give us up to Rs. 600 per sack (of 60 kg) of paddy. This year it was as low as Rs. 450,&amp;rdquo; said Khokon Mondal.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Bumper crop&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;According to Food and Supplies Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, there has been a bumper crop of 150 lakh tonnes of paddy in West Bengal this season. As a result, the price of paddy in the open market has dropped substantially.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;The Left parties and the Congress have been stating that if the State government procured more grain, the farmers would be assured of the minimum support price of Rs. 1080 per quintal of paddy (Rs. 648 per sack of 60 kg) announced by the Centre.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;However, Mr. Mallick claims that the State already procured over four lakh tonnes of rice, which is more than the three lakh tonnes that the previous Left Front government had procured. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Baishakhi Ghosh sits at the threshold of her home at Kauri village in Bardhaman district with her new-born son, but breaks into tears as her mother feeds her a sweetmeat &amp;mdash; part of the rituals of bringing her first grandchild to the home for the first time. Alternating between wailing and consoling each other, the women of the household of Bhootnath Pal, a farmer who was found hanging from the branch of a tree on Saturday, do their best to come to terms with the tragedy.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;The last straw&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&amp;ldquo;He was overcome with worry these last few months. The thought of another addition to the family must have pushed him over the edge,&amp;rdquo; said Attanti Pal, Bhootnath&#039;s wife.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
The worry over his grandchild, born in by a cruel twist of fate just a day after Bhootnath committed suicide, may have been the last straw, but there is no denying the fact that he owed nearly Rs. 30,000 (Rs. 7,500 borrowed as an agricultural loan from the Bank of India more than two years ago, which remains unpaid, Rs. 10,000 taken from a local moneylender and sundry sums elsewhere) or that he had not received the money for the little surplus grain he had harvested this season.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Bhootnath joined a few other farmers from Kauri village to sell their grain to the rice mill on January 20 but they were not given any money. A day after his suicide, the cheque in the name of Swapan Pradhan was issued.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&amp;ldquo;We sold our paddy to the rice mill on January 6 and are yet to receive our cheques,&amp;rdquo; said another farmer from the village.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Bhootnath Pal is one of the 31 farmers, who according to media reports committed suicide in the State in the last four months. Twenty-one of these have been reported in Bardhaman district alone, considered the rice bowl of West Bengal.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
According to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee none of them, with the exception of one, is a farmer. &amp;nbsp;After a major disagreement with his father over the purchase of a pair of buffaloes, 20-year-old Prosenjit Mondal hanged himself from a tree. Prosenjit worked on the five bighas (less than two acres) of land &amp;ndash; two owned by his father and another three that they tilled for a landlord. Over the years, his father has run up a debt of Rs. 40,000.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Lower prices&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Already burdened with debt, farmers are being forced to sell their produce at prices much below those of last year. While small farmers like Bhootnath Pal and Prosenjit Mondal have always relied on middlemen to transport their grains to the rice mills, the prices offered by the traders this year are less than those of last year, even as the cost of fertilizers and pesticides has doubled in the same period.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&amp;ldquo;Last year the traders would give us up to Rs. 600 per sack (of 60 kg) of paddy. This year it was as low as Rs. 450,&amp;rdquo; said Khokon Mondal.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Bumper crop&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
According to Food and Supplies Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, there has been a bumper crop of 150 lakh tonnes of paddy in West Bengal this season. As a result, the price of paddy in the open market has dropped substantially.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
The Left parties and the Congress have been stating that if the State government procured more grain, the farmers would be assured of the minimum support price of Rs. 1080 per quintal of paddy (Rs. 648 per sack of 60 kg) announced by the Centre.
&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;br /&gt;
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Baishakhi Ghosh sits at the threshold of her home at Kauri village in Bardhaman district with her new-born son, but breaks into tears as her mother feeds her a sweetmeat &amp;mdash; part of the rituals of bringing her first grandchild...&#039;
$disp = &#039;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Baishakhi Ghosh sits at the threshold of her home at Kauri village in Bardhaman district with her new-born son, but breaks into tears as her mother feeds her a sweetmeat &amp;mdash; part of the rituals of bringing her first grandchild to the home for the first time. Alternating between wailing and consoling each other, the women of the household of Bhootnath Pal, a farmer who was found hanging from the branch of a tree on Saturday, do their best to come to terms with the tragedy.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The last straw&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;He was overcome with worry these last few months. The thought of another addition to the family must have pushed him over the edge,&amp;rdquo; said Attanti Pal, Bhootnath&#039;s wife.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;The worry over his grandchild, born in by a cruel twist of fate just a day after Bhootnath committed suicide, may have been the last straw, but there is no denying the fact that he owed nearly Rs. 30,000 (Rs. 7,500 borrowed as an agricultural loan from the Bank of India more than two years ago, which remains unpaid, Rs. 10,000 taken from a local moneylender and sundry sums elsewhere) or that he had not received the money for the little surplus grain he had harvested this season.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Bhootnath joined a few other farmers from Kauri village to sell their grain to the rice mill on January 20 but they were not given any money. A day after his suicide, the cheque in the name of Swapan Pradhan was issued.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;We sold our paddy to the rice mill on January 6 and are yet to receive our cheques,&amp;rdquo; said another farmer from the village.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Bhootnath Pal is one of the 31 farmers, who according to media reports committed suicide in the State in the last four months. Twenty-one of these have been reported in Bardhaman district alone, considered the rice bowl of West Bengal.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;According to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee none of them, with the exception of one, is a farmer. &amp;nbsp;After a major disagreement with his father over the purchase of a pair of buffaloes, 20-year-old Prosenjit Mondal hanged himself from a tree. Prosenjit worked on the five bighas (less than two acres) of land &amp;ndash; two owned by his father and another three that they tilled for a landlord. 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This year it was as low as Rs. 450,&amp;rdquo; said Khokon Mondal.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Bumper crop&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;According to Food and Supplies Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, there has been a bumper crop of 150 lakh tonnes of paddy in West Bengal this season. As a result, the price of paddy in the open market has dropped substantially.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;The Left parties and the Congress have been stating that if the State government procured more grain, the farmers would be assured of the minimum support price of Rs. 1080 per quintal of paddy (Rs. 648 per sack of 60 kg) announced by the Centre.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;However, Mr. Mallick claims that the State already procured over four lakh tonnes of rice, which is more than the three lakh tonnes that the previous Left Front government had procured. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&#039;
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Baishakhi Ghosh sits at the threshold of her home at Kauri village in Bardhaman district with her new-born son, but breaks into tears as her mother feeds her a sweetmeat &mdash; part of the rituals of bringing her first grandchild..."/>
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                <strong>Rice bowl turns bare for farmers in West Bengal by Ananya Dutta</strong></h1>
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                <div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Baishakhi Ghosh sits at the threshold of her home at Kauri village in Bardhaman district with her new-born son, but breaks into tears as her mother feeds her a sweetmeat &mdash; part of the rituals of bringing her first grandchild to the home for the first time. Alternating between wailing and consoling each other, the women of the household of Bhootnath Pal, a farmer who was found hanging from the branch of a tree on Saturday, do their best to come to terms with the tragedy.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>The last straw</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">&ldquo;He was overcome with worry these last few months. The thought of another addition to the family must have pushed him over the edge,&rdquo; said Attanti Pal, Bhootnath's wife.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">The worry over his grandchild, born in by a cruel twist of fate just a day after Bhootnath committed suicide, may have been the last straw, but there is no denying the fact that he owed nearly Rs. 30,000 (Rs. 7,500 borrowed as an agricultural loan from the Bank of India more than two years ago, which remains unpaid, Rs. 10,000 taken from a local moneylender and sundry sums elsewhere) or that he had not received the money for the little surplus grain he had harvested this season.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Bhootnath joined a few other farmers from Kauri village to sell their grain to the rice mill on January 20 but they were not given any money. A day after his suicide, the cheque in the name of Swapan Pradhan was issued.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">&ldquo;We sold our paddy to the rice mill on January 6 and are yet to receive our cheques,&rdquo; said another farmer from the village.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Bhootnath Pal is one of the 31 farmers, who according to media reports committed suicide in the State in the last four months. Twenty-one of these have been reported in Bardhaman district alone, considered the rice bowl of West Bengal.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">According to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee none of them, with the exception of one, is a farmer. &nbsp;After a major disagreement with his father over the purchase of a pair of buffaloes, 20-year-old Prosenjit Mondal hanged himself from a tree. Prosenjit worked on the five bighas (less than two acres) of land &ndash; two owned by his father and another three that they tilled for a landlord. Over the years, his father has run up a debt of Rs. 40,000.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>Lower prices</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Already burdened with debt, farmers are being forced to sell their produce at prices much below those of last year. While small farmers like Bhootnath Pal and Prosenjit Mondal have always relied on middlemen to transport their grains to the rice mills, the prices offered by the traders this year are less than those of last year, even as the cost of fertilizers and pesticides has doubled in the same period.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">&ldquo;Last year the traders would give us up to Rs. 600 per sack (of 60 kg) of paddy. This year it was as low as Rs. 450,&rdquo; said Khokon Mondal.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>Bumper crop&nbsp;</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">According to Food and Supplies Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, there has been a bumper crop of 150 lakh tonnes of paddy in West Bengal this season. As a result, the price of paddy in the open market has dropped substantially.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">The Left parties and the Congress have been stating that if the State government procured more grain, the farmers would be assured of the minimum support price of Rs. 1080 per quintal of paddy (Rs. 648 per sack of 60 kg) announced by the Centre.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">However, Mr. Mallick claims that the State already procured over four lakh tonnes of rice, which is more than the three lakh tonnes that the previous Left Front government had procured. &nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div>               </font>
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Baishakhi Ghosh sits at the threshold of her home at Kauri village in Bardhaman district with her new-born son, but breaks into tears as her mother feeds her a sweetmeat &amp;mdash; part of the rituals of bringing her first grandchild to the home for the first time. Alternating between wailing and consoling each other, the women of the household of Bhootnath Pal, a farmer who was found hanging from the branch of a tree on Saturday, do their best to come to terms with the tragedy.
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&lt;em&gt;The last straw&lt;/em&gt;
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&amp;ldquo;He was overcome with worry these last few months. The thought of another addition to the family must have pushed him over the edge,&amp;rdquo; said Attanti Pal, Bhootnath&#039;s wife.
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The worry over his grandchild, born in by a cruel twist of fate just a day after Bhootnath committed suicide, may have been the last straw, but there is no denying the fact that he owed nearly Rs. 30,000 (Rs. 7,500 borrowed as an agricultural loan from the Bank of India more than two years ago, which remains unpaid, Rs. 10,000 taken from a local moneylender and sundry sums elsewhere) or that he had not received the money for the little surplus grain he had harvested this season.
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Bhootnath joined a few other farmers from Kauri village to sell their grain to the rice mill on January 20 but they were not given any money. A day after his suicide, the cheque in the name of Swapan Pradhan was issued.
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&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&amp;ldquo;We sold our paddy to the rice mill on January 6 and are yet to receive our cheques,&amp;rdquo; said another farmer from the village.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Bhootnath Pal is one of the 31 farmers, who according to media reports committed suicide in the State in the last four months. Twenty-one of these have been reported in Bardhaman district alone, considered the rice bowl of West Bengal.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
According to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee none of them, with the exception of one, is a farmer. &amp;nbsp;After a major disagreement with his father over the purchase of a pair of buffaloes, 20-year-old Prosenjit Mondal hanged himself from a tree. Prosenjit worked on the five bighas (less than two acres) of land &amp;ndash; two owned by his father and another three that they tilled for a landlord. Over the years, his father has run up a debt of Rs. 40,000.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;em&gt;Lower prices&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Already burdened with debt, farmers are being forced to sell their produce at prices much below those of last year. While small farmers like Bhootnath Pal and Prosenjit Mondal have always relied on middlemen to transport their grains to the rice mills, the prices offered by the traders this year are less than those of last year, even as the cost of fertilizers and pesticides has doubled in the same period.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&amp;ldquo;Last year the traders would give us up to Rs. 600 per sack (of 60 kg) of paddy. This year it was as low as Rs. 450,&amp;rdquo; said Khokon Mondal.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Bumper crop&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
According to Food and Supplies Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, there has been a bumper crop of 150 lakh tonnes of paddy in West Bengal this season. As a result, the price of paddy in the open market has dropped substantially.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
The Left parties and the Congress have been stating that if the State government procured more grain, the farmers would be assured of the minimum support price of Rs. 1080 per quintal of paddy (Rs. 648 per sack of 60 kg) announced by the Centre.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
However, Mr. Mallick claims that the State already procured over four lakh tonnes of rice, which is more than the three lakh tonnes that the previous Left Front government had procured. &amp;nbsp;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
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Baishakhi Ghosh sits at the threshold of her home at Kauri village in Bardhaman district with her new-born son, but breaks into tears as her mother feeds her a sweetmeat &amp;mdash; part of the rituals of bringing her first grandchild...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Baishakhi Ghosh sits at the threshold of her home at Kauri village in Bardhaman district with her new-born son, but breaks into tears as her mother feeds her a sweetmeat &amp;mdash; part of the rituals of bringing her first grandchild to the home for the first time. Alternating between wailing and consoling each other, the women of the household of Bhootnath Pal, a farmer who was found hanging from the branch of a tree on Saturday, do their best to come to terms with the tragedy.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The last straw&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;He was overcome with worry these last few months. The thought of another addition to the family must have pushed him over the edge,&amp;rdquo; said Attanti Pal, Bhootnath&#039;s wife.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;The worry over his grandchild, born in by a cruel twist of fate just a day after Bhootnath committed suicide, may have been the last straw, but there is no denying the fact that he owed nearly Rs. 30,000 (Rs. 7,500 borrowed as an agricultural loan from the Bank of India more than two years ago, which remains unpaid, Rs. 10,000 taken from a local moneylender and sundry sums elsewhere) or that he had not received the money for the little surplus grain he had harvested this season.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Bhootnath joined a few other farmers from Kauri village to sell their grain to the rice mill on January 20 but they were not given any money. A day after his suicide, the cheque in the name of Swapan Pradhan was issued.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;We sold our paddy to the rice mill on January 6 and are yet to receive our cheques,&amp;rdquo; said another farmer from the village.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Bhootnath Pal is one of the 31 farmers, who according to media reports committed suicide in the State in the last four months. Twenty-one of these have been reported in Bardhaman district alone, considered the rice bowl of West Bengal.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;According to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee none of them, with the exception of one, is a farmer. &amp;nbsp;After a major disagreement with his father over the purchase of a pair of buffaloes, 20-year-old Prosenjit Mondal hanged himself from a tree. Prosenjit worked on the five bighas (less than two acres) of land &amp;ndash; two owned by his father and another three that they tilled for a landlord. Over the years, his father has run up a debt of Rs. 40,000.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Lower prices&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Already burdened with debt, farmers are being forced to sell their produce at prices much below those of last year. While small farmers like Bhootnath Pal and Prosenjit Mondal have always relied on middlemen to transport their grains to the rice mills, the prices offered by the traders this year are less than those of last year, even as the cost of fertilizers and pesticides has doubled in the same period.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;Last year the traders would give us up to Rs. 600 per sack (of 60 kg) of paddy. This year it was as low as Rs. 450,&amp;rdquo; said Khokon Mondal.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Bumper crop&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;According to Food and Supplies Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, there has been a bumper crop of 150 lakh tonnes of paddy in West Bengal this season. As a result, the price of paddy in the open market has dropped substantially.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;The Left parties and the Congress have been stating that if the State government procured more grain, the farmers would be assured of the minimum support price of Rs. 1080 per quintal of paddy (Rs. 648 per sack of 60 kg) announced by the Centre.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;However, Mr. Mallick claims that the State already procured over four lakh tonnes of rice, which is more than the three lakh tonnes that the previous Left Front government had procured. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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	&#039;title&#039; =&gt; &#039;Rice bowl turns bare for farmers in West Bengal by Ananya Dutta&#039;,
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&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Baishakhi Ghosh sits at the threshold of her home at Kauri village in Bardhaman district with her new-born son, but breaks into tears as her mother feeds her a sweetmeat &amp;mdash; part of the rituals of bringing her first grandchild to the home for the first time. Alternating between wailing and consoling each other, the women of the household of Bhootnath Pal, a farmer who was found hanging from the branch of a tree on Saturday, do their best to come to terms with the tragedy.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;The last straw&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&amp;ldquo;He was overcome with worry these last few months. The thought of another addition to the family must have pushed him over the edge,&amp;rdquo; said Attanti Pal, Bhootnath&#039;s wife.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
The worry over his grandchild, born in by a cruel twist of fate just a day after Bhootnath committed suicide, may have been the last straw, but there is no denying the fact that he owed nearly Rs. 30,000 (Rs. 7,500 borrowed as an agricultural loan from the Bank of India more than two years ago, which remains unpaid, Rs. 10,000 taken from a local moneylender and sundry sums elsewhere) or that he had not received the money for the little surplus grain he had harvested this season.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Bhootnath joined a few other farmers from Kauri village to sell their grain to the rice mill on January 20 but they were not given any money. A day after his suicide, the cheque in the name of Swapan Pradhan was issued.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&amp;ldquo;We sold our paddy to the rice mill on January 6 and are yet to receive our cheques,&amp;rdquo; said another farmer from the village.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Bhootnath Pal is one of the 31 farmers, who according to media reports committed suicide in the State in the last four months. Twenty-one of these have been reported in Bardhaman district alone, considered the rice bowl of West Bengal.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
According to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee none of them, with the exception of one, is a farmer. &amp;nbsp;After a major disagreement with his father over the purchase of a pair of buffaloes, 20-year-old Prosenjit Mondal hanged himself from a tree. Prosenjit worked on the five bighas (less than two acres) of land &amp;ndash; two owned by his father and another three that they tilled for a landlord. Over the years, his father has run up a debt of Rs. 40,000.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Lower prices&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Already burdened with debt, farmers are being forced to sell their produce at prices much below those of last year. While small farmers like Bhootnath Pal and Prosenjit Mondal have always relied on middlemen to transport their grains to the rice mills, the prices offered by the traders this year are less than those of last year, even as the cost of fertilizers and pesticides has doubled in the same period.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&amp;ldquo;Last year the traders would give us up to Rs. 600 per sack (of 60 kg) of paddy. This year it was as low as Rs. 450,&amp;rdquo; said Khokon Mondal.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Bumper crop&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
According to Food and Supplies Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, there has been a bumper crop of 150 lakh tonnes of paddy in West Bengal this season. As a result, the price of paddy in the open market has dropped substantially.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
The Left parties and the Congress have been stating that if the State government procured more grain, the farmers would be assured of the minimum support price of Rs. 1080 per quintal of paddy (Rs. 648 per sack of 60 kg) announced by the Centre.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
However, Mr. Mallick claims that the State already procured over four lakh tonnes of rice, which is more than the three lakh tonnes that the previous Left Front government had procured. &amp;nbsp;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
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Baishakhi Ghosh sits at the threshold of her home at Kauri village in Bardhaman district with her new-born son, but breaks into tears as her mother feeds her a sweetmeat &amp;mdash; part of the rituals of bringing her first grandchild...&#039;
$disp = &#039;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Baishakhi Ghosh sits at the threshold of her home at Kauri village in Bardhaman district with her new-born son, but breaks into tears as her mother feeds her a sweetmeat &amp;mdash; part of the rituals of bringing her first grandchild to the home for the first time. Alternating between wailing and consoling each other, the women of the household of Bhootnath Pal, a farmer who was found hanging from the branch of a tree on Saturday, do their best to come to terms with the tragedy.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The last straw&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;He was overcome with worry these last few months. The thought of another addition to the family must have pushed him over the edge,&amp;rdquo; said Attanti Pal, Bhootnath&#039;s wife.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;The worry over his grandchild, born in by a cruel twist of fate just a day after Bhootnath committed suicide, may have been the last straw, but there is no denying the fact that he owed nearly Rs. 30,000 (Rs. 7,500 borrowed as an agricultural loan from the Bank of India more than two years ago, which remains unpaid, Rs. 10,000 taken from a local moneylender and sundry sums elsewhere) or that he had not received the money for the little surplus grain he had harvested this season.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Bhootnath joined a few other farmers from Kauri village to sell their grain to the rice mill on January 20 but they were not given any money. A day after his suicide, the cheque in the name of Swapan Pradhan was issued.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;We sold our paddy to the rice mill on January 6 and are yet to receive our cheques,&amp;rdquo; said another farmer from the village.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Bhootnath Pal is one of the 31 farmers, who according to media reports committed suicide in the State in the last four months. Twenty-one of these have been reported in Bardhaman district alone, considered the rice bowl of West Bengal.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;According to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee none of them, with the exception of one, is a farmer. &amp;nbsp;After a major disagreement with his father over the purchase of a pair of buffaloes, 20-year-old Prosenjit Mondal hanged himself from a tree. Prosenjit worked on the five bighas (less than two acres) of land &amp;ndash; two owned by his father and another three that they tilled for a landlord. Over the years, his father has run up a debt of Rs. 40,000.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Lower prices&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Already burdened with debt, farmers are being forced to sell their produce at prices much below those of last year. While small farmers like Bhootnath Pal and Prosenjit Mondal have always relied on middlemen to transport their grains to the rice mills, the prices offered by the traders this year are less than those of last year, even as the cost of fertilizers and pesticides has doubled in the same period.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;Last year the traders would give us up to Rs. 600 per sack (of 60 kg) of paddy. This year it was as low as Rs. 450,&amp;rdquo; said Khokon Mondal.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Bumper crop&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;According to Food and Supplies Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, there has been a bumper crop of 150 lakh tonnes of paddy in West Bengal this season. As a result, the price of paddy in the open market has dropped substantially.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;The Left parties and the Congress have been stating that if the State government procured more grain, the farmers would be assured of the minimum support price of Rs. 1080 per quintal of paddy (Rs. 648 per sack of 60 kg) announced by the Centre.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;However, Mr. Mallick claims that the State already procured over four lakh tonnes of rice, which is more than the three lakh tonnes that the previous Left Front government had procured. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&#039;
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Baishakhi Ghosh sits at the threshold of her home at Kauri village in Bardhaman district with her new-born son, but breaks into tears as her mother feeds her a sweetmeat &mdash; part of the rituals of bringing her first grandchild..."/>
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                <strong>Rice bowl turns bare for farmers in West Bengal by Ananya Dutta</strong></h1>
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                <div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Baishakhi Ghosh sits at the threshold of her home at Kauri village in Bardhaman district with her new-born son, but breaks into tears as her mother feeds her a sweetmeat &mdash; part of the rituals of bringing her first grandchild to the home for the first time. Alternating between wailing and consoling each other, the women of the household of Bhootnath Pal, a farmer who was found hanging from the branch of a tree on Saturday, do their best to come to terms with the tragedy.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>The last straw</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">&ldquo;He was overcome with worry these last few months. The thought of another addition to the family must have pushed him over the edge,&rdquo; said Attanti Pal, Bhootnath's wife.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">The worry over his grandchild, born in by a cruel twist of fate just a day after Bhootnath committed suicide, may have been the last straw, but there is no denying the fact that he owed nearly Rs. 30,000 (Rs. 7,500 borrowed as an agricultural loan from the Bank of India more than two years ago, which remains unpaid, Rs. 10,000 taken from a local moneylender and sundry sums elsewhere) or that he had not received the money for the little surplus grain he had harvested this season.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Bhootnath joined a few other farmers from Kauri village to sell their grain to the rice mill on January 20 but they were not given any money. A day after his suicide, the cheque in the name of Swapan Pradhan was issued.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">&ldquo;We sold our paddy to the rice mill on January 6 and are yet to receive our cheques,&rdquo; said another farmer from the village.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Bhootnath Pal is one of the 31 farmers, who according to media reports committed suicide in the State in the last four months. Twenty-one of these have been reported in Bardhaman district alone, considered the rice bowl of West Bengal.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">According to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee none of them, with the exception of one, is a farmer. &nbsp;After a major disagreement with his father over the purchase of a pair of buffaloes, 20-year-old Prosenjit Mondal hanged himself from a tree. Prosenjit worked on the five bighas (less than two acres) of land &ndash; two owned by his father and another three that they tilled for a landlord. Over the years, his father has run up a debt of Rs. 40,000.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>Lower prices</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Already burdened with debt, farmers are being forced to sell their produce at prices much below those of last year. While small farmers like Bhootnath Pal and Prosenjit Mondal have always relied on middlemen to transport their grains to the rice mills, the prices offered by the traders this year are less than those of last year, even as the cost of fertilizers and pesticides has doubled in the same period.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">&ldquo;Last year the traders would give us up to Rs. 600 per sack (of 60 kg) of paddy. This year it was as low as Rs. 450,&rdquo; said Khokon Mondal.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>Bumper crop&nbsp;</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">According to Food and Supplies Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, there has been a bumper crop of 150 lakh tonnes of paddy in West Bengal this season. As a result, the price of paddy in the open market has dropped substantially.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">The Left parties and the Congress have been stating that if the State government procured more grain, the farmers would be assured of the minimum support price of Rs. 1080 per quintal of paddy (Rs. 648 per sack of 60 kg) announced by the Centre.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">However, Mr. Mallick claims that the State already procured over four lakh tonnes of rice, which is more than the three lakh tonnes that the previous Left Front government had procured. &nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div>               </font>
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Baishakhi Ghosh sits at the threshold of her home at Kauri village in Bardhaman district with her new-born son, but breaks into tears as her mother feeds her a sweetmeat &amp;mdash; part of the rituals of bringing her first grandchild to the home for the first time. Alternating between wailing and consoling each other, the women of the household of Bhootnath Pal, a farmer who was found hanging from the branch of a tree on Saturday, do their best to come to terms with the tragedy.
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&lt;em&gt;The last straw&lt;/em&gt;
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&amp;ldquo;He was overcome with worry these last few months. The thought of another addition to the family must have pushed him over the edge,&amp;rdquo; said Attanti Pal, Bhootnath&#039;s wife.
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The worry over his grandchild, born in by a cruel twist of fate just a day after Bhootnath committed suicide, may have been the last straw, but there is no denying the fact that he owed nearly Rs. 30,000 (Rs. 7,500 borrowed as an agricultural loan from the Bank of India more than two years ago, which remains unpaid, Rs. 10,000 taken from a local moneylender and sundry sums elsewhere) or that he had not received the money for the little surplus grain he had harvested this season.
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Bhootnath joined a few other farmers from Kauri village to sell their grain to the rice mill on January 20 but they were not given any money. A day after his suicide, the cheque in the name of Swapan Pradhan was issued.
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&amp;ldquo;We sold our paddy to the rice mill on January 6 and are yet to receive our cheques,&amp;rdquo; said another farmer from the village.
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Bhootnath Pal is one of the 31 farmers, who according to media reports committed suicide in the State in the last four months. Twenty-one of these have been reported in Bardhaman district alone, considered the rice bowl of West Bengal.
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According to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee none of them, with the exception of one, is a farmer. &amp;nbsp;After a major disagreement with his father over the purchase of a pair of buffaloes, 20-year-old Prosenjit Mondal hanged himself from a tree. Prosenjit worked on the five bighas (less than two acres) of land &amp;ndash; two owned by his father and another three that they tilled for a landlord. Over the years, his father has run up a debt of Rs. 40,000.
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&lt;em&gt;Lower prices&lt;/em&gt;
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Already burdened with debt, farmers are being forced to sell their produce at prices much below those of last year. While small farmers like Bhootnath Pal and Prosenjit Mondal have always relied on middlemen to transport their grains to the rice mills, the prices offered by the traders this year are less than those of last year, even as the cost of fertilizers and pesticides has doubled in the same period.
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&amp;ldquo;Last year the traders would give us up to Rs. 600 per sack (of 60 kg) of paddy. This year it was as low as Rs. 450,&amp;rdquo; said Khokon Mondal.
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&lt;em&gt;Bumper crop&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;
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According to Food and Supplies Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, there has been a bumper crop of 150 lakh tonnes of paddy in West Bengal this season. As a result, the price of paddy in the open market has dropped substantially.
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The Left parties and the Congress have been stating that if the State government procured more grain, the farmers would be assured of the minimum support price of Rs. 1080 per quintal of paddy (Rs. 648 per sack of 60 kg) announced by the Centre.
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However, Mr. Mallick claims that the State already procured over four lakh tonnes of rice, which is more than the three lakh tonnes that the previous Left Front government had procured. &amp;nbsp;
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Baishakhi Ghosh sits at the threshold of her home at Kauri village in Bardhaman district with her new-born son, but breaks into tears as her mother feeds her a sweetmeat &amp;mdash; part of the rituals of bringing her first grandchild...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Baishakhi Ghosh sits at the threshold of her home at Kauri village in Bardhaman district with her new-born son, but breaks into tears as her mother feeds her a sweetmeat &amp;mdash; part of the rituals of bringing her first grandchild to the home for the first time. Alternating between wailing and consoling each other, the women of the household of Bhootnath Pal, a farmer who was found hanging from the branch of a tree on Saturday, do their best to come to terms with the tragedy.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The last straw&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;He was overcome with worry these last few months. The thought of another addition to the family must have pushed him over the edge,&amp;rdquo; said Attanti Pal, Bhootnath&#039;s wife.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;The worry over his grandchild, born in by a cruel twist of fate just a day after Bhootnath committed suicide, may have been the last straw, but there is no denying the fact that he owed nearly Rs. 30,000 (Rs. 7,500 borrowed as an agricultural loan from the Bank of India more than two years ago, which remains unpaid, Rs. 10,000 taken from a local moneylender and sundry sums elsewhere) or that he had not received the money for the little surplus grain he had harvested this season.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Bhootnath joined a few other farmers from Kauri village to sell their grain to the rice mill on January 20 but they were not given any money. A day after his suicide, the cheque in the name of Swapan Pradhan was issued.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;We sold our paddy to the rice mill on January 6 and are yet to receive our cheques,&amp;rdquo; said another farmer from the village.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Bhootnath Pal is one of the 31 farmers, who according to media reports committed suicide in the State in the last four months. Twenty-one of these have been reported in Bardhaman district alone, considered the rice bowl of West Bengal.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;According to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee none of them, with the exception of one, is a farmer. &amp;nbsp;After a major disagreement with his father over the purchase of a pair of buffaloes, 20-year-old Prosenjit Mondal hanged himself from a tree. Prosenjit worked on the five bighas (less than two acres) of land &amp;ndash; two owned by his father and another three that they tilled for a landlord. Over the years, his father has run up a debt of Rs. 40,000.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Lower prices&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Already burdened with debt, farmers are being forced to sell their produce at prices much below those of last year. While small farmers like Bhootnath Pal and Prosenjit Mondal have always relied on middlemen to transport their grains to the rice mills, the prices offered by the traders this year are less than those of last year, even as the cost of fertilizers and pesticides has doubled in the same period.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;Last year the traders would give us up to Rs. 600 per sack (of 60 kg) of paddy. This year it was as low as Rs. 450,&amp;rdquo; said Khokon Mondal.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Bumper crop&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;According to Food and Supplies Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, there has been a bumper crop of 150 lakh tonnes of paddy in West Bengal this season. As a result, the price of paddy in the open market has dropped substantially.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;The Left parties and the Congress have been stating that if the State government procured more grain, the farmers would be assured of the minimum support price of Rs. 1080 per quintal of paddy (Rs. 648 per sack of 60 kg) announced by the Centre.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;However, Mr. Mallick claims that the State already procured over four lakh tonnes of rice, which is more than the three lakh tonnes that the previous Left Front government had procured. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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	&#039;title&#039; =&gt; &#039;Rice bowl turns bare for farmers in West Bengal by Ananya Dutta&#039;,
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&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Baishakhi Ghosh sits at the threshold of her home at Kauri village in Bardhaman district with her new-born son, but breaks into tears as her mother feeds her a sweetmeat &amp;mdash; part of the rituals of bringing her first grandchild to the home for the first time. Alternating between wailing and consoling each other, the women of the household of Bhootnath Pal, a farmer who was found hanging from the branch of a tree on Saturday, do their best to come to terms with the tragedy.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;The last straw&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&amp;ldquo;He was overcome with worry these last few months. The thought of another addition to the family must have pushed him over the edge,&amp;rdquo; said Attanti Pal, Bhootnath&#039;s wife.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
The worry over his grandchild, born in by a cruel twist of fate just a day after Bhootnath committed suicide, may have been the last straw, but there is no denying the fact that he owed nearly Rs. 30,000 (Rs. 7,500 borrowed as an agricultural loan from the Bank of India more than two years ago, which remains unpaid, Rs. 10,000 taken from a local moneylender and sundry sums elsewhere) or that he had not received the money for the little surplus grain he had harvested this season.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Bhootnath joined a few other farmers from Kauri village to sell their grain to the rice mill on January 20 but they were not given any money. A day after his suicide, the cheque in the name of Swapan Pradhan was issued.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&amp;ldquo;We sold our paddy to the rice mill on January 6 and are yet to receive our cheques,&amp;rdquo; said another farmer from the village.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Bhootnath Pal is one of the 31 farmers, who according to media reports committed suicide in the State in the last four months. Twenty-one of these have been reported in Bardhaman district alone, considered the rice bowl of West Bengal.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
According to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee none of them, with the exception of one, is a farmer. &amp;nbsp;After a major disagreement with his father over the purchase of a pair of buffaloes, 20-year-old Prosenjit Mondal hanged himself from a tree. Prosenjit worked on the five bighas (less than two acres) of land &amp;ndash; two owned by his father and another three that they tilled for a landlord. Over the years, his father has run up a debt of Rs. 40,000.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Lower prices&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
Already burdened with debt, farmers are being forced to sell their produce at prices much below those of last year. While small farmers like Bhootnath Pal and Prosenjit Mondal have always relied on middlemen to transport their grains to the rice mills, the prices offered by the traders this year are less than those of last year, even as the cost of fertilizers and pesticides has doubled in the same period.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&amp;ldquo;Last year the traders would give us up to Rs. 600 per sack (of 60 kg) of paddy. This year it was as low as Rs. 450,&amp;rdquo; said Khokon Mondal.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Bumper crop&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
According to Food and Supplies Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, there has been a bumper crop of 150 lakh tonnes of paddy in West Bengal this season. As a result, the price of paddy in the open market has dropped substantially.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
The Left parties and the Congress have been stating that if the State government procured more grain, the farmers would be assured of the minimum support price of Rs. 1080 per quintal of paddy (Rs. 648 per sack of 60 kg) announced by the Centre.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
However, Mr. Mallick claims that the State already procured over four lakh tonnes of rice, which is more than the three lakh tonnes that the previous Left Front government had procured. &amp;nbsp;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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Baishakhi Ghosh sits at the threshold of her home at Kauri village in Bardhaman district with her new-born son, but breaks into tears as her mother feeds her a sweetmeat &amp;mdash; part of the rituals of bringing her first grandchild...&#039;
$disp = &#039;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Baishakhi Ghosh sits at the threshold of her home at Kauri village in Bardhaman district with her new-born son, but breaks into tears as her mother feeds her a sweetmeat &amp;mdash; part of the rituals of bringing her first grandchild to the home for the first time. Alternating between wailing and consoling each other, the women of the household of Bhootnath Pal, a farmer who was found hanging from the branch of a tree on Saturday, do their best to come to terms with the tragedy.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The last straw&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;He was overcome with worry these last few months. The thought of another addition to the family must have pushed him over the edge,&amp;rdquo; said Attanti Pal, Bhootnath&#039;s wife.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;The worry over his grandchild, born in by a cruel twist of fate just a day after Bhootnath committed suicide, may have been the last straw, but there is no denying the fact that he owed nearly Rs. 30,000 (Rs. 7,500 borrowed as an agricultural loan from the Bank of India more than two years ago, which remains unpaid, Rs. 10,000 taken from a local moneylender and sundry sums elsewhere) or that he had not received the money for the little surplus grain he had harvested this season.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Bhootnath joined a few other farmers from Kauri village to sell their grain to the rice mill on January 20 but they were not given any money. 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Twenty-one of these have been reported in Bardhaman district alone, considered the rice bowl of West Bengal.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;According to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee none of them, with the exception of one, is a farmer. &amp;nbsp;After a major disagreement with his father over the purchase of a pair of buffaloes, 20-year-old Prosenjit Mondal hanged himself from a tree. Prosenjit worked on the five bighas (less than two acres) of land &amp;ndash; two owned by his father and another three that they tilled for a landlord. Over the years, his father has run up a debt of Rs. 40,000.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Lower prices&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;Already burdened with debt, farmers are being forced to sell their produce at prices much below those of last year. While small farmers like Bhootnath Pal and Prosenjit Mondal have always relied on middlemen to transport their grains to the rice mills, the prices offered by the traders this year are less than those of last year, even as the cost of fertilizers and pesticides has doubled in the same period.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: justify&quot;&gt;&amp;ldquo;Last year the traders would give us up to Rs. 600 per sack (of 60 kg) of paddy. 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                <strong>Rice bowl turns bare for farmers in West Bengal by Ananya Dutta</strong></h1>
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                <div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Baishakhi Ghosh sits at the threshold of her home at Kauri village in Bardhaman district with her new-born son, but breaks into tears as her mother feeds her a sweetmeat &mdash; part of the rituals of bringing her first grandchild to the home for the first time. Alternating between wailing and consoling each other, the women of the household of Bhootnath Pal, a farmer who was found hanging from the branch of a tree on Saturday, do their best to come to terms with the tragedy.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>The last straw</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">&ldquo;He was overcome with worry these last few months. The thought of another addition to the family must have pushed him over the edge,&rdquo; said Attanti Pal, Bhootnath's wife.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">The worry over his grandchild, born in by a cruel twist of fate just a day after Bhootnath committed suicide, may have been the last straw, but there is no denying the fact that he owed nearly Rs. 30,000 (Rs. 7,500 borrowed as an agricultural loan from the Bank of India more than two years ago, which remains unpaid, Rs. 10,000 taken from a local moneylender and sundry sums elsewhere) or that he had not received the money for the little surplus grain he had harvested this season.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Bhootnath joined a few other farmers from Kauri village to sell their grain to the rice mill on January 20 but they were not given any money. A day after his suicide, the cheque in the name of Swapan Pradhan was issued.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">&ldquo;We sold our paddy to the rice mill on January 6 and are yet to receive our cheques,&rdquo; said another farmer from the village.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Bhootnath Pal is one of the 31 farmers, who according to media reports committed suicide in the State in the last four months. Twenty-one of these have been reported in Bardhaman district alone, considered the rice bowl of West Bengal.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">According to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee none of them, with the exception of one, is a farmer. &nbsp;After a major disagreement with his father over the purchase of a pair of buffaloes, 20-year-old Prosenjit Mondal hanged himself from a tree. Prosenjit worked on the five bighas (less than two acres) of land &ndash; two owned by his father and another three that they tilled for a landlord. Over the years, his father has run up a debt of Rs. 40,000.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>Lower prices</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Already burdened with debt, farmers are being forced to sell their produce at prices much below those of last year. While small farmers like Bhootnath Pal and Prosenjit Mondal have always relied on middlemen to transport their grains to the rice mills, the prices offered by the traders this year are less than those of last year, even as the cost of fertilizers and pesticides has doubled in the same period.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">&ldquo;Last year the traders would give us up to Rs. 600 per sack (of 60 kg) of paddy. This year it was as low as Rs. 450,&rdquo; said Khokon Mondal.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>Bumper crop&nbsp;</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">According to Food and Supplies Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, there has been a bumper crop of 150 lakh tonnes of paddy in West Bengal this season. As a result, the price of paddy in the open market has dropped substantially.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">The Left parties and the Congress have been stating that if the State government procured more grain, the farmers would be assured of the minimum support price of Rs. 1080 per quintal of paddy (Rs. 648 per sack of 60 kg) announced by the Centre.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">However, Mr. Mallick claims that the State already procured over four lakh tonnes of rice, which is more than the three lakh tonnes that the previous Left Front government had procured. &nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div>               </font>
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		'title' => 'Rice bowl turns bare for farmers in West Bengal by Ananya Dutta',
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<br />
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<div style="text-align: justify">
Baishakhi Ghosh sits at the threshold of her home at Kauri village in Bardhaman district with her new-born son, but breaks into tears as her mother feeds her a sweetmeat &mdash; part of the rituals of bringing her first grandchild to the home for the first time. Alternating between wailing and consoling each other, the women of the household of Bhootnath Pal, a farmer who was found hanging from the branch of a tree on Saturday, do their best to come to terms with the tragedy.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<em>The last straw</em>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
&ldquo;He was overcome with worry these last few months. The thought of another addition to the family must have pushed him over the edge,&rdquo; said Attanti Pal, Bhootnath's wife.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
The worry over his grandchild, born in by a cruel twist of fate just a day after Bhootnath committed suicide, may have been the last straw, but there is no denying the fact that he owed nearly Rs. 30,000 (Rs. 7,500 borrowed as an agricultural loan from the Bank of India more than two years ago, which remains unpaid, Rs. 10,000 taken from a local moneylender and sundry sums elsewhere) or that he had not received the money for the little surplus grain he had harvested this season.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
Bhootnath joined a few other farmers from Kauri village to sell their grain to the rice mill on January 20 but they were not given any money. A day after his suicide, the cheque in the name of Swapan Pradhan was issued.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
&ldquo;We sold our paddy to the rice mill on January 6 and are yet to receive our cheques,&rdquo; said another farmer from the village.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
Bhootnath Pal is one of the 31 farmers, who according to media reports committed suicide in the State in the last four months. Twenty-one of these have been reported in Bardhaman district alone, considered the rice bowl of West Bengal.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
According to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee none of them, with the exception of one, is a farmer. &nbsp;After a major disagreement with his father over the purchase of a pair of buffaloes, 20-year-old Prosenjit Mondal hanged himself from a tree. Prosenjit worked on the five bighas (less than two acres) of land &ndash; two owned by his father and another three that they tilled for a landlord. Over the years, his father has run up a debt of Rs. 40,000.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<em>Lower prices</em>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
Already burdened with debt, farmers are being forced to sell their produce at prices much below those of last year. While small farmers like Bhootnath Pal and Prosenjit Mondal have always relied on middlemen to transport their grains to the rice mills, the prices offered by the traders this year are less than those of last year, even as the cost of fertilizers and pesticides has doubled in the same period.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
&ldquo;Last year the traders would give us up to Rs. 600 per sack (of 60 kg) of paddy. This year it was as low as Rs. 450,&rdquo; said Khokon Mondal.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<em>Bumper crop&nbsp;</em>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
According to Food and Supplies Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, there has been a bumper crop of 150 lakh tonnes of paddy in West Bengal this season. As a result, the price of paddy in the open market has dropped substantially.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
The Left parties and the Congress have been stating that if the State government procured more grain, the farmers would be assured of the minimum support price of Rs. 1080 per quintal of paddy (Rs. 648 per sack of 60 kg) announced by the Centre.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
However, Mr. Mallick claims that the State already procured over four lakh tonnes of rice, which is more than the three lakh tonnes that the previous Left Front government had procured. &nbsp;
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
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Baishakhi Ghosh sits at the threshold of her home at Kauri village in Bardhaman district with her new-born son, but breaks into tears as her mother feeds her a sweetmeat &mdash; part of the rituals of bringing her first grandchild...',
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	'title' => 'Rice bowl turns bare for farmers in West Bengal by Ananya Dutta',
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<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
Baishakhi Ghosh sits at the threshold of her home at Kauri village in Bardhaman district with her new-born son, but breaks into tears as her mother feeds her a sweetmeat &mdash; part of the rituals of bringing her first grandchild to the home for the first time. Alternating between wailing and consoling each other, the women of the household of Bhootnath Pal, a farmer who was found hanging from the branch of a tree on Saturday, do their best to come to terms with the tragedy.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<em>The last straw</em>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
&ldquo;He was overcome with worry these last few months. The thought of another addition to the family must have pushed him over the edge,&rdquo; said Attanti Pal, Bhootnath's wife.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
The worry over his grandchild, born in by a cruel twist of fate just a day after Bhootnath committed suicide, may have been the last straw, but there is no denying the fact that he owed nearly Rs. 30,000 (Rs. 7,500 borrowed as an agricultural loan from the Bank of India more than two years ago, which remains unpaid, Rs. 10,000 taken from a local moneylender and sundry sums elsewhere) or that he had not received the money for the little surplus grain he had harvested this season.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
Bhootnath joined a few other farmers from Kauri village to sell their grain to the rice mill on January 20 but they were not given any money. A day after his suicide, the cheque in the name of Swapan Pradhan was issued.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
&ldquo;We sold our paddy to the rice mill on January 6 and are yet to receive our cheques,&rdquo; said another farmer from the village.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
Bhootnath Pal is one of the 31 farmers, who according to media reports committed suicide in the State in the last four months. Twenty-one of these have been reported in Bardhaman district alone, considered the rice bowl of West Bengal.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
According to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee none of them, with the exception of one, is a farmer. &nbsp;After a major disagreement with his father over the purchase of a pair of buffaloes, 20-year-old Prosenjit Mondal hanged himself from a tree. Prosenjit worked on the five bighas (less than two acres) of land &ndash; two owned by his father and another three that they tilled for a landlord. Over the years, his father has run up a debt of Rs. 40,000.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<em>Lower prices</em>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
Already burdened with debt, farmers are being forced to sell their produce at prices much below those of last year. While small farmers like Bhootnath Pal and Prosenjit Mondal have always relied on middlemen to transport their grains to the rice mills, the prices offered by the traders this year are less than those of last year, even as the cost of fertilizers and pesticides has doubled in the same period.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
&ldquo;Last year the traders would give us up to Rs. 600 per sack (of 60 kg) of paddy. This year it was as low as Rs. 450,&rdquo; said Khokon Mondal.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<em>Bumper crop&nbsp;</em>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
According to Food and Supplies Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, there has been a bumper crop of 150 lakh tonnes of paddy in West Bengal this season. As a result, the price of paddy in the open market has dropped substantially.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
The Left parties and the Congress have been stating that if the State government procured more grain, the farmers would be assured of the minimum support price of Rs. 1080 per quintal of paddy (Rs. 648 per sack of 60 kg) announced by the Centre.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
However, Mr. Mallick claims that the State already procured over four lakh tonnes of rice, which is more than the three lakh tonnes that the previous Left Front government had procured. &nbsp;
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify">
<br />
</div>',
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Baishakhi Ghosh sits at the threshold of her home at Kauri village in Bardhaman district with her new-born son, but breaks into tears as her mother feeds her a sweetmeat &mdash; part of the rituals of bringing her first grandchild...'
$disp = '<div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Baishakhi Ghosh sits at the threshold of her home at Kauri village in Bardhaman district with her new-born son, but breaks into tears as her mother feeds her a sweetmeat &mdash; part of the rituals of bringing her first grandchild to the home for the first time. Alternating between wailing and consoling each other, the women of the household of Bhootnath Pal, a farmer who was found hanging from the branch of a tree on Saturday, do their best to come to terms with the tragedy.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>The last straw</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">&ldquo;He was overcome with worry these last few months. The thought of another addition to the family must have pushed him over the edge,&rdquo; said Attanti Pal, Bhootnath's wife.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">The worry over his grandchild, born in by a cruel twist of fate just a day after Bhootnath committed suicide, may have been the last straw, but there is no denying the fact that he owed nearly Rs. 30,000 (Rs. 7,500 borrowed as an agricultural loan from the Bank of India more than two years ago, which remains unpaid, Rs. 10,000 taken from a local moneylender and sundry sums elsewhere) or that he had not received the money for the little surplus grain he had harvested this season.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Bhootnath joined a few other farmers from Kauri village to sell their grain to the rice mill on January 20 but they were not given any money. A day after his suicide, the cheque in the name of Swapan Pradhan was issued.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">&ldquo;We sold our paddy to the rice mill on January 6 and are yet to receive our cheques,&rdquo; said another farmer from the village.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Bhootnath Pal is one of the 31 farmers, who according to media reports committed suicide in the State in the last four months. Twenty-one of these have been reported in Bardhaman district alone, considered the rice bowl of West Bengal.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">According to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee none of them, with the exception of one, is a farmer. &nbsp;After a major disagreement with his father over the purchase of a pair of buffaloes, 20-year-old Prosenjit Mondal hanged himself from a tree. Prosenjit worked on the five bighas (less than two acres) of land &ndash; two owned by his father and another three that they tilled for a landlord. Over the years, his father has run up a debt of Rs. 40,000.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>Lower prices</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">Already burdened with debt, farmers are being forced to sell their produce at prices much below those of last year. While small farmers like Bhootnath Pal and Prosenjit Mondal have always relied on middlemen to transport their grains to the rice mills, the prices offered by the traders this year are less than those of last year, even as the cost of fertilizers and pesticides has doubled in the same period.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">&ldquo;Last year the traders would give us up to Rs. 600 per sack (of 60 kg) of paddy. This year it was as low as Rs. 450,&rdquo; said Khokon Mondal.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify"><em>Bumper crop&nbsp;</em></div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">According to Food and Supplies Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, there has been a bumper crop of 150 lakh tonnes of paddy in West Bengal this season. As a result, the price of paddy in the open market has dropped substantially.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">The Left parties and the Congress have been stating that if the State government procured more grain, the farmers would be assured of the minimum support price of Rs. 1080 per quintal of paddy (Rs. 648 per sack of 60 kg) announced by the Centre.</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify">However, Mr. Mallick claims that the State already procured over four lakh tonnes of rice, which is more than the three lakh tonnes that the previous Left Front government had procured. &nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify"><br /></div>'
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Rice bowl turns bare for farmers in West Bengal by Ananya Dutta

Baishakhi Ghosh sits at the threshold of her home at Kauri village in Bardhaman district with her new-born son, but breaks into tears as her mother feeds her a sweetmeat — part of the rituals of bringing her first grandchild to the home for the first time. Alternating between wailing and consoling each other, the women of the household of Bhootnath Pal, a farmer who was found hanging from the branch of a tree on Saturday, do their best to come to terms with the tragedy. The last straw “He was overcome with worry these last few months. The thought of another addition to the family must have pushed him over the edge,” said Attanti Pal, Bhootnath's wife. The worry over his grandchild, born in by a cruel twist of fate just a day after Bhootnath committed suicide, may have been the last straw, but there is no denying the fact that he owed nearly Rs. 30,000 (Rs. 7,500 borrowed as an agricultural loan from the Bank of India more than two years ago, which remains unpaid, Rs. 10,000 taken from a local moneylender and sundry sums elsewhere) or that he had not received the money for the little surplus grain he had harvested this season. Bhootnath joined a few other farmers from Kauri village to sell their grain to the rice mill on January 20 but they were not given any money. A day after his suicide, the cheque in the name of Swapan Pradhan was issued. “We sold our paddy to the rice mill on January 6 and are yet to receive our cheques,” said another farmer from the village. Bhootnath Pal is one of the 31 farmers, who according to media reports committed suicide in the State in the last four months. Twenty-one of these have been reported in Bardhaman district alone, considered the rice bowl of West Bengal. According to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee none of them, with the exception of one, is a farmer.  After a major disagreement with his father over the purchase of a pair of buffaloes, 20-year-old Prosenjit Mondal hanged himself from a tree. Prosenjit worked on the five bighas (less than two acres) of land – two owned by his father and another three that they tilled for a landlord. Over the years, his father has run up a debt of Rs. 40,000. Lower prices Already burdened with debt, farmers are being forced to sell their produce at prices much below those of last year. While small farmers like Bhootnath Pal and Prosenjit Mondal have always relied on middlemen to transport their grains to the rice mills, the prices offered by the traders this year are less than those of last year, even as the cost of fertilizers and pesticides has doubled in the same period. “Last year the traders would give us up to Rs. 600 per sack (of 60 kg) of paddy. This year it was as low as Rs. 450,” said Khokon Mondal. Bumper crop  According to Food and Supplies Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, there has been a bumper crop of 150 lakh tonnes of paddy in West Bengal this season. As a result, the price of paddy in the open market has dropped substantially. The Left parties and the Congress have been stating that if the State government procured more grain, the farmers would be assured of the minimum support price of Rs. 1080 per quintal of paddy (Rs. 648 per sack of 60 kg) announced by the Centre. However, Mr. Mallick claims that the State already procured over four lakh tonnes of rice, which is more than the three lakh tonnes that the previous Left Front government had procured.