PASCHIM MEDINIPUR

Image ID: 116296425

Caption : Kolkata: Banamali Mahato of Kalsibhnaga village in Pashim Medinipur district of West Bengal on his way back home after tilling a farm by his hand operated tractor on Monday afternoon. Particularly two sub- divisions in Paschim Medinipur district, Jhargram and Midnapur Sadar are located on a plateau, where farmers are mostly depended on rainfall. Good rainfalls in last year helped the farmers to have a bumper crop of potato and paddy. Though the potato prices fell below the expectations due to the surplus production, Banamali could manage to rip a good profit from the output of his 10 acre of land and bought this old hand tractor at a price of One lakh rupees. These subdivisions are heavily disturbed by the Maoist INSURGENCY and farmers are being affected due to frequent bandhs and violence. With all odds, Banamali hopes to have a good crop, as the monsoon looks very promising this year too. He was proud to reveal that the income from the tractor by giving it on hire at Rs.1000 for tilling one acre of land will help him to repay the loans. Photo: Arunangsu Roy Chowdhury June 15, 2010.