CM urges firms to set up units to manufacture seed

MP | 14 Nov 2022 | KOLKATA: In an effort to encourage entrepreneurship, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Monday, urged to set up firms to manufacture seeds. She said that the state government will not only give land free of cost to set up these manufacturing units but will also buy from them their produce for three years. 

She held a meeting of the task force for regulating prices of essential commodities at Nabanna on Monday afternoon. 

At the meet Banerjee also told the officers to see why the cost of chicken and vegetables were going up and directed them to take steps to regulate it, however, she stated that the prices in Bengal were much less compared to other states. 

However, she alleged that the Centre was doing nothing to control price rise of essential commodities. 

"The state government will give the willing entrepreneurs land free of cost and will buy seed from them for three years. The state government will be the facilitator," she said. She asked Pradip Majumdar, state minister for Panchayats and Rural Development to take up the issue with the teachers and students of Kanyani Agricultural University. 

"If they are willing then they can become owners of companies and we will give them a guarantee that we will purchase seed from them for three years. If seed-producing firms are set up here our farmers will get a steady supply," she said. 

Banerjee asked the state Home secretary BP Gopalika to take up the matter with the representatives of CII, ASOCHEM and other chambers of Commerce. "Talk to them and seek their opinion and try to find out whether they can do anything in this regard," she remarked. 

Taking a dig at the Centre for not supplying fertilisers she said: "The Centre is more interested in sending ED and CBI than sending fertilisers. They take money from us and never release funds on time. 

We will request the entrepreneurs to set up plants for manufacturing fertilisers." She urged the police to ensure the smooth passage of trucks carrying vegetables and fish. 

"You should increase the naka checking points so that trucks carrying vegetables and fish reach the markets on time. But ensure that in the name of carrying vegetables no one is carrying something else," she said. 

She asked the task force members to "work seriously and apply their intelligence to settle different issues". 

http://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/cm-urges-firms-to-set-up-units-to-manufacture-seed-499152