Kolkata (The Hawk): Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, has addressed a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking for an exemption from the 20% excise duty imposed on the unique rice type known as "Gobindobhog."
Without an exemption from excise duty, the letter claims, "the exports for the specific type of rice will be adversely affected." The chief minister further noted in the letter that farmers who grow this specific variety of rice will suffer from a lack of exports in the absence of excise reduction.
The chief minister further noted that Gobindobhog rice was very well-liked in various Western Asian and European nations, including the UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait. She claims that several religious celebrations also use the Gobindobhog kind of rice.
According to the letter, the state government also urges farmers to grow this species of rice because it is well-liked abroad.
The chief minister further emphasised that the Gobindobhog type should be given a comparable break as the Center recently exempted Basmati rice from excise charge.
She also asserted that the reduction in taxes is required for the farmers to carry on with the smooth production of the variety because the price of the Gobindobhog variety is greater than the minimum support price (MSP).
The chief minister also noted that in 2017, this specific rice variety was also given the Geographical Indication (GI) label.
Gobindobhog is a white, short-grained, aromatic, sticky rice type with a buttery flavour that is mostly grown in a few West Bengali areas. The main regions that grow this specific variety of rice are East Burdwan, Hooghly, Nadia, and Birbhum. In some areas of Bihar and Chhattisgarh, this kind of rice is also grown.
(Inputs from Agencies)