West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday mentioned she has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting him to advise the Union Agriculture Ministry to launch funds beneath the PM-Kisan scheme to farmers within the state.
This got here days after Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar wrote to the chief minister, asking her to direct state officers to take swift motion to facilitate switch of the fund into the accounts of eligible farmers in Bengal.
The scheme, beneath which Rs 6,000 is instantly deposited into the accounts of the farmers in three equal installments a 12 months, figured prominently within the latest meeting election marketing campaign, with the BJP and TMC accusing one another of blocking the funds.
BJP leaders, together with the Prime Minister, had alleged that the TMC authorities blocked the funds in Bengal, and promised fee of Rs 18,000 – together with arrears – to every eligible farmer in Bengal if elected to energy. The TMC mentioned the state authorities had already executed the needful, and accused the Centre of delaying the funds.
“I have written to the Prime Minister. I hope the funds under PM-Kisan scheme will be released soon. They said Rs 18,000 will be given to the farmers. Five months ago, we uploaded the names of the recipients on the central government portal and made all arrangements,” Banerjee mentioned at a press convention Thursday.
In her letter to the Prime Minister, she wrote: “Out of the 21.79 lakh farmers who registered for the scheme as per the letter of the Union Agriculture Minister sent last November, 14.91 lakh data have been updated on the portal, which were duly verified and of which 9.84 lakh data are ready for PFMS [Public Finance Management System].”
A supply within the Union Agriculture Ministry instructed The Indian Express that the West Bengal authorities needs cash to be launched to it as an alternative of the beneficiaries’ accounts, which is towards the rules of PM-Kisan. Under the scheme, the cash is to be deposited into the accounts of the eligible farmers solely via DBT. The official mentioned the Centre will launch the funds when the state authorities completes the method as per the rules.
Banerjee’s assertion follows a letter Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar wrote to her a day after the meeting election outcomes have been introduced. Congratulating her on the victory, Tomar wrote, “I have requested to you earlier several times that about 69 lakh farmers of the state have been deprived of PM-Kisan….”
The Centre had launched the PM-Kisan scheme in 2018-19, which the West Bengal authorities had refused to just accept.
“Only farmers of West Bengal are deprived of this scheme across India, therefore, I again request you direct the state government officials to take swift action as per the guidelines of the scheme,” Tomar wrote.