Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Tapan Kumar Sen said 41 famers have committed suicide in West Bengal while 12,000 peasants stand evicted.
As members from the Trinamool Congress objected to the remarks, Sen tried to pacify them saying he was not levelling allegations and that his "friends" were not understanding the issue.
"The whole thing is flowing from the faulty policy of the government in public sector investment in agriculture and faulty credit policy. Public sector investment in agriculture is going down," he said.
Questioning the efficacy of the rural credit network in the country, Sen accused the government of following a policy to prune and limit their area of operation and activities.
The CPI-M member expressed concern that while the NABARD has decided to close 15 of its offices, the condition of Regional Rural Banks (RRB) is also not good.
He said more than two thirds of farmers fall outside the ambit of institutional credit network and are victims of money lenders.
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"The fund meant for agriculture is being diverted for farmhouses. It is not going to poor and marginalised farmers but to the rich landlords," Sen said.
He said while suicide by farmers is increasing every day, there is also a trend among people of abandoning agricultural activities as they are facing severe crisis and distress, which can create a danger to the food security of the nation. PTI AMR NAM
SMI