Amidst the ongoing farmers’ agitation against the farm laws, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday, December 21 wrote a letter to Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar requesting a transfer of funds under the central government’s PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.
The letter came after Amit Shah during his two day Bengal tour alleged that the TMC supremo is blocking all the central schemes including PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.
Mamata Banerjee in her letter, said, “You may kindly recall my letter dated September 9, 2020, regarding the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme launched by the central government. Decision of the central government on implementation of the scheme in West Bengal and transferring the requisite fund to the State government for onward distribution to the farmers through the state government machinery is still awaited.”
She further writes, “The State government is already implementing a scheme of direct fund transfer to the farmers including the sharecroppers with death benefit scheme, as had been enumerated in my letter under reference. More than 73 lakh farmers are to be benefited under this scheme. I once again request you to kindly arrange to transfer the requisite fund to the State government, for onward disbursement with full responsibility to the farmer-beneficiaries of the state through State government machinery.”
It is to be noted that Mamata Bannerjee agreed to implement Ayushman Bharat with the condition that the funds may be routed through the state government.
The PMKSN is a scheme by Modi Government in which income support of 6,000 per year in three equal installments is being provided to small and marginal farmer families having combined land holding/ownership of up to 2 hectares.
The scheme was launched in February last year.
