 "PM releases over Rs 20K cr under PM-KISAN; benefits reach Bengal farmers")
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday released the 8th instalment of PM-KISAN income support totalling over Rs 20,000 crore to 95 million farmers.
Under the scheme, a financial benefit of Rs 6,000 per year is transferred directly to the bank accounts of eligible farmers, payable in three equal four-monthly instalments of Rs 2,000 each. The scheme was launched in February 2019 but was implemented with effect from December 2018.
However, this was for the first time that the benefits reached the farmers of West Bengal as about 703,000 of them got Rs 2,000 each.
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“Today, the first instalment has reached the farmers of Bengal. As the names of farmers from the state are received by the central government, the number of beneficiary farmers will increase,” the prime minister said after releasing the financial benefit at a virtual event.
The scheme was not implemented in West Bengal because the state government and the Centre were at loggerheads over various issues, including verified data of farmers.
In an open letter to farmers on Friday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the decision to extend the benefits to farmers in the state was a result of her government’s “continuous fight”. She accused the Centre of dilly-dallying over the transfer of funds to beneficiaries in the state.
Soon after winning the just-concluded assembly elections, Banerjee had shot off a letter to the Centre demanding the release of Rs 18,000 crore arrears to each eligible farmer from the state.
The Centre claims that so far over Rs 135,000 crore has been transferred directly into the bank accounts of over 100 million farmers since the scheme started. Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, who was present on the occasion, said his ministry was making all efforts to ensure 100 per cent saturation under PM-KISAN.
The PM said the deadline for renewal of Kisan Credit Cards has been extended till June 30 due to Covid-19.
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