Agricultural land in WB on decline: Congress

Hyderabad, June 10: The Andhra Pradesh Congress Legislative Party (CLP) today alleged that there was a considerable decline in the area of cultivable land in West Bengal during 1991-2001.

According to a press release here, a delegation, led by Government Chief Whip N Kirankumar Reddy, which visited West Bengal to study about the recent land reforms in the state, found that the number of farmers had come down to 56.63 lakh in 2001 as against 58.44 lakh in 1991.

Stating that the number of agriculture labourers had increased to 73.62 lakh from 50.55 lakh during the same period, CLP Secretary P Srikanth said, more than four lakh acres of cultivable land had been converted for other purposes in West Bengal.

UNI