Kolkata, Aug 2 (PTI) A motion congratulating the farmers in West Bengal and urging them to be more dynamic was passed in the state Assembly on Wednesday.

Maintaining that nearly 70 per cent of West Bengal's population is directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture, the motion brought under Rule 185 was moved stating that the current dispensation in the state is a friend of farmers, having been giving free insurance, pension and assistance on death to them.

Also Read | Delhi LG VK Saxena Approves Enhanced Honorarium for Advocate Mediators Working in Mediation Centers in District Courts.

The motion was carried forward with a voice vote after a debate on it by members of the ruling TMC and opposition BJP and the lone ISF MLA.

State Panchayat and Rural Development minister Pradip Mazumdar said that the present dispensation under Mamata Banerjee had worked to change the pattern of paddy cultivation in the state after coming to power in 2011 from high yield low-quality produce to finer quality rice which fetches a good price.

Also Read | Manipur Violence: Security Beefed Up in Churachandpur District Ahead of Mass Burial of Slain Kukis on August 3.

He said that cultivation of cash crops like onions, varieties of dal, corn, etc, were encouraged by the government.

Majumdar said that the Mamata Banerjee government is giving assistance of Rs 10,000 per annum to farmers under the Krishak Bandhu scheme introduced by it after the 2021 assembly polls in the state.

BJP's Sitalkuchi MLA Baren Barman said that North Bengal requires more cold storages for setting up of food processing units for its produce of food grains and fruits and vegetables.

ISF MLA Nawsad Siddique claimed that the average monthly income of Bengal's farmers is much lower than what is earned by their counterparts in several other states of the country.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)