Bihar can become leading potato-producing state: Nitish

Patna, Jun 22 (UNI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said the state had an immense potential to emerge as a leading potato producer in the country and serious efforts in this regard were being made through implementation of a roadmap for Integrated Development of Agriculture in the state.

Addressing a function, organised here on opportunities for investment in potato production sector, Mr Kumar said fertile land and climate were favourbale for boosting potato production in the state.

''Investment for establishing potato processing units is immense and state government will explore all possibilites to tap this vast potential in this sector,'' he added.

''After Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, Bihar is the third largest potato producing state in the country,'' Mr Kumar said, adding the state could reach on first slot, if required support was provided to this sector.

The Chief Minister said the Bihar government was seriously considering to evolve a suitable mechanism to regulate the potato price in the state.

An in-depth study on such mechanism in other states would also be carried out before taking a final decision on the matter, he underlined.

Mr Kumar said exodus of labourers from Bihar to other states in search of livelihood had dipped considerably and it was an indication that the Centrally sponsored National Rural Employment Guarantee (NREGA) scheme was being implemented sucessfully in the state.

He inveighed some union ministers from Bihar for reproaching the NDA government on poor implementation of the NREGA, saying they were trying to divert the attention of the people from good performance of his government in the state.

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