Another farmer commits suicide in Bengal; toll reaches 15 in WB

Suicides by farmers hit by non-remunerative price for their potato crop continued with yet another committing suicide on Monday morning, taking the toll to 15 in West Bengal.

Ajit Roy, 42, a resident of Ullora village in Memari, jumped in front of a train at Rasulpur in Burdwan district, the police said.

Roy's family said that he had been depressed over non-remunerative price for his bumper potato crop. He had banked on it to repay loans taken for his daughter's marriage last year and recoup losses incurred in fish farming.

His loss was such that he was unable to pay even the lease money on which he had cultivated potato this season, the family said.

Block Development Officer Ranu Mondal said the matter is being investigated. The district administration recently claimed that suicides by potato farmers were not caused due to their being under debt but over personal reasons.

With this, the number of farmer suicides rose to 15. Burdwan accounted for the highest number farmer deaths where the toll is 11, followed by two in Malda district and one each in Jalpaiguri and West Midnapore.’