West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday announced an assistance of ₹2,900 crore for 10.5 million farmers and sharecroppers under the state’s Krishak Bandhu welfare scheme and another ₹293 crore as compensation for crop loss because of the weather.
The premium for the crop insurance scheme, Bangla Shasya Bima, is borne by the Trinamool Congress government.
“Since its inception in 2019, ₹3,133 crore have reached the bank accounts of 10 million affected farmers,” Banerjee said in a post on X, referring to the insurance scheme.
The move comes 48 hours of the Union finance ministry’s June 10 decision to release ₹1,39,750 crore to states in June, which includes an advance instalment to accelerate capital expenditures of states. West Bengal’s share is ₹10,513 crore.
The release of the states’ share in taxes coincided with Prime Minister Narendra Modi signing off on a cash-transfer installment for farmers. Modi’s office said the money being released under PM Kisan Nidhi will benefit 93 million farmers and distribute about ₹20,000 crore. It is a central-sector scheme with 100% funding from the Centre. Any land-owning farming household can enrol itself subject to exclusions, such as income ceilings, tax payments and total asset value.
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