Dey, a secretariat member of the Forward Bloc, also in-charge of the agriculture portfolio, presented figures before the Assembly that point at this widening gap. He was replying to a query on this by MLA and leader of the Congress’ legislature party Manas Bhuniya.
Dey said in the year 2007-08, food grain production was 163.69 lakh metric tonne, while the demand was 170.14 lakh metric tonne. The figures for the previous year are more worrying — production stood at 159.75 lakh metric tonne while the demand was 168.39 lakh metric tonne. Shoring up his contention, Bhuniya then wanted to know how the chief minister still continues to acquire agricultural land for industry. This will further skewer the ratio, he said.
In reply, Naren Dey said the government is focusing on increasing the intensity of crop production in the state. “At present, the crop intensity is 178 per cent. In the present five-year plan, we want to increase crop intensity to nearly 200 per cent,” Dey said. The government is also looking at increasing crop productivity and to bring in more land under the purview of agriculture.
Later, Bhuniya said the National Sample Survey Organisation says at least 9 per cent of the population in West Bengal live with inadequate food, whereas that figure was once 5.3 per cent.
According to information provided by the government on several occasions, the amount of agricultural land in the state is around 1.37 crore acres.
Taking away one lakh acres from this meant a reduction of 0.72 per cent of the available agricultural land.
This would proportionately hit crop production.
Naren Dey was asked why Bhattacharjee continues to say the state is self-sufficient in food grain production. “I don’t want to challenge his version. But I believe taking away one lakh acres for industry will hit production,” he said. Echoing his party’s disapproval of such land acquisition, the minister added, “Land should be acquired from the non-cultivable areas in the state.”