‘Given no responsibility during my tenure’

“However,a few days ago — even without informing me — she changeed my portfolio and gave the charge of food processing industries in the rank of minister of state. I cannot accept this humiliation. I was neither taken into confidence in the process of decision making nor was I given any specific responsibility during all these days. Therefore,I sought approval of the Congress president to tender my resignation from the council of ministers headed by Banerjee. The Congress high command has kindly permitted me to resign,” the statement added.

The minister,who came to Bidhan Bhavan,West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) headquarters on Saturday,said he would be sending the letter on January 24,as January 23 was a government holiday.

Meanwhile,WBPCC president Pradip Bhattacharjee today demanded setting up of a committee comprising members of all political parties to look into the cases of suicides of farmers allegedly due to abject poverty.

“So far 24 farmers committed suicide in the last eight months and we demand that the state government should set up a fact finding committee with members from all political parties. And if the government fails to do so,we ourselves will set up such a committee for this purpose,” Bhattacharjee said.

He also said that the state government was not being informed properly about these farmers deaths and that is why the government was issuing different statements. “Sometimes the government is saying that the farmers were committing suicide because of utter depression; sometimes they are citing some other reasons. We want that the government to get down to the truth,” he added.