Governor surprises Burdwan farmers, discuss their problems and possibilities

The farmers of Burdwan were in for a treat when they received an unexpected visit from Dr. CV Ananda Bose, the Hon'ble Governor of West Bengal. Dr. Bose arrived in their village after attending the convocation of Bardhaman University in Purba Bardhaman district.

Expressing his desire to interact with farmers at the primary level, Dr. Bose visited the Asst. Director of Agriculture's office premises at Borshul village under Burdwan II block. The district magistrate of Purba Bardhaman, Priyanka Singla, organized an informal meeting between the farmers and Dr. Bose to discuss the seasonal agriculture of the district, the problems, and possibilities in agriculture, as well as the day-to-day lives of the farmers.

Accompanying Dr. Bose was T.R. Kesavan, a leading agricultural expert in the country and the group president of TAFE. Kesavan is also an exponent of JFarm, an early CSR initiative spread across 16 states in India that helps small and marginal farmers with farm machinery, micronutrients, pesticides, and overall input costs to increase productivity.

After interacting with the young and enterprising farmers of Borshul, Kesavan voluntarily offered to train 15 farmers from the village free of any cost at one of the JFarms in Chennai. During the visit, Dr. Bose emphasized the importance of taking care of the farmers. "Farmers are the backbone of our nation, and we must take care of them," he said. "The soil never fails, and farmers should not fail."

Dr. Bose promised to start an E Portal in the Raj Bhavan for quick redressal of grievances of the farmers. He also cited Gurudev Tagore, saying, "God is where the tiller is tilling the soil."

Purba Bardhaman is an agriculturally prosperous district of West Bengal and was the largest producer of rice in the state before it was divided. Dr. Bose's visit to the village was a welcome surprise for the farmers, who hope that it will bring much-needed attention to their problems and help them overcome the challenges they face in their daily lives.