West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said the government would initiate stern action as per law against those who were cheating farmers of the state.
Issuing cheques to farmers from the chief minister's Relief Fund here today, Banerjee said there had been certain instances where farmers were defrauded of their payments even after the government made funds available to the intermediaries.
"Farmers are asset of the society," she said, adding that the government purchased paddy from the farmers for which payments were made but the intermediaries were not giving the money to the beneficiaries.