Image Courtesy:indiablooms.com
After taking charge once again as Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee is not wasting any time. She has shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi reminding him of unpaid amounts under financial assistance schemes to eligible farmers in the state.
Banerjee referred to her letter dated December 31, 2020, addressed to the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in which she had asked for benefits provided under the PM-KISAN scheme to farmers in West Bengal. “Several communications were also made from the State Government, Department of Agriculture. However, no concrete response has yet been received from the Ministry on this,” she wrote.
Banerjee went on to list all steps taken by the state government to appoint necessary officials, open bank accounts, monitor registration of farmers for the scheme. She also mentioned efforts made under the state government’s Krishak Bandhu scheme which she said was better than the PM-KISAN scheme as it covered all farmers, while the Central scheme excluded share-croppers, self-declared farmers and others.
She also reminded him of his promises to release arrears that Modi made during election campaign rallies. Banerjee said, “I would further impress that during your recent visit to the state, you gave repeated assurances on releasing the arrear amount of Rs 18,000 to each farmer, but till date no fund has been received by the State of West Bengal or the farmers.”
Banerjee ended by asking Modi to direct the concerned Ministry to release funds due. The entire letter may be read here:
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