Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has urged the Centre to allow poppy cultivation in the state, insisting that delicacies prepared with its seeds are integral to the Bengali cuisine.
Banerjee said ‘posto’ or poppy seeds are costly as it is cultivated only in a few states.
“Bengalis love ‘posto’. Why should it be cultivated in only four states? Why not in West Bengal, despite it being on our menu every day?” she said.
“Why will we have to purchase ‘posto’ from other states at high prices? Why will West Bengal not get permission for its cultivation? I will ask members of the opposition to write to the Centre on it,” the CM said on Thursday.
The state has been trying to get permission for cultivation of the highly-regulated crop.
“We have said that the state will cultivate it in agriculture farms. If we can grow poppy here, we will get them at Rs 100 (per kg), instead of Rs 1,000. At times, we have to take decisions unanimously. Not all poppies are drugs,” she claimed.
Mamata was speaking on budget discussions relating to the food and supplies department. The chief minister also said that as the Centre gave tax relief to ‘basmati’ rice, it should extend similar benefits to ‘gobindobhog’ and ‘tulaipanji’ varieties of rice produced in West Bengal.
Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.
The musician and his wife have been enjoying their time touring Istanbul and Cappadocia
Shared by Instagram account @lunayogini, the video is sure to take you back to your school dance performances
Biryani on your mind? Head to Club Verde for a sumptuous Biryani festival
Netflix’s new Swedish coming-of-age film delves into the complexities of teenage emotions
Slow down to smell (and paint) the roses while enjoying food and refreshing drinks at the event by Art Fitoor