KOLKATA: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to exempt the 20 per cent duty on the export of Bengal's aromatic 'Gobindobhog' rice that was awarded Geographic Identification (GI) to avoid loss and prevent farmers from getting deprived.
Banerjee wrote to Modi urging him to issue necessary instructions for exempting the export duty on this premiere variety of rice that is grown in a few districts of Bengal. She pointed out that such an exemption has already been given to the Basmati rice.
"It is, therefore, requested by the same logic by which 'Bäsmati has been exempted, the premium aromatic variety 'Gobindobhog' rice should also be exempted from such 20% Customs Duty on export at an early date to avoid loss of business and depriving benefit to our farmers," Banerjee wrote to Modi. She said that the Centre imposed a 20 per cent customs duty on Gobindobhog in September. "As a result of which the export business of the premium 'Gobindobhog' variety, developed through years of efforts, has been badly affected with negative impact on the demand and domestic price of the paddy, and hence on the income of farmers," her letter read.