Centre not disbursing funds under farmer scheme: Mamata

KALNA : West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday alleged that the BJP-led government at the Centre was not disbursing funds under the PM-Kisan scheme to peasants in the state despite the TMC administration having sent the verified names of farmers to it.

Accusing the BJP of falsely claiming that she is denying funds to the farmers, she said that the Trinamool Congress government in the state is giving Rs 5,000 each to peasants and has also arranged for free crop insurance.

The chief minister had on Monday informed the Assembly that out of 6 lakh applications of farmers sent by the Centre for verification for payment of monetary assistance under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, the state government has returned 2.5 lakh names following necessary work. The TMC supremo claimed at a public rally at Kalna in Purba Barddhaman district that peasants are facing atrocities during their agitation outside Delhi against the new farm laws. She claimed that her government has provided assistance to all farmers in West Bengal and peasants in the state are better off than their brethren in many other states.

“The new farm laws must be repealed and our support for the agitation will continue till that is achieved,” she said. Banerjee reiterated that the BJP was allegedly bringing outsiders to the state ahead of the assembly elections. “Some outsiders are coming in luxury cars and resorting to photo sessions to show they are partaking food at village people’s houses but the food eaten by them is brought from five-star hotels. “West Bengal will be ruled by those from the state and not by those coming from Gujarat,” she said.

BJP leaders have been accusing the state government of depriving the people of the benefits of central schemes like the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi and Ayushman Bharat. “Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme is not applicable in Bengal. Around 26 lakh farmers have registered themselves for the scheme, for which Mamata didi has not given permission,” BJP chief JP Nadda had said at a rally in Bengal last month.

Meanwhile, BJP national president J P Nadda on Tuesday while flagging off the second phase of the ‘Parivartan Yatra’ from Tarapith in Birbhum district. “The Trinamool Congress is pitting people against one another by branding them as outsiders. This is shameful. It is not the culture of the land of Swami Vivekananda, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore,” Nadda said.