Refuting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s allegation that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government is not implementing Central schemes in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that her government sent the names of 2 lakh farmers to the Centre who are eligible for the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.
The Chief Minister said this while addressing the state Assembly.
“The West Bengal government received the names of 6 lakh applicants for the scheme from the Centre. We have sent the names of 2 lakh farmers to the Centre who are eligible for the scheme,” said Mamata.
She wondered why the Centre is yet to start disbursing funds to eligible beneficiaries under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.
Responding to a question on the vote-on-account presented by her on February 5, the Chief Minister announced that the state government would float 19 major industrial projects in Bengal. She also said that the projects would draw investment of Rs.72, 200 crore and create 3.29 lakh jobs.
Ahead of the Assembly elections, Mamata presented a vote-on-account for 2.99 lakh in the Assembly. One of the key announcements is the state government’s decision to increase the annual aid to farmers under it’s Krishak Bandhu scheme from Rs. 5,000 to Rs.6,000.
Under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, small and marginal farmers get Rs.6,000 per year in three equal installments.
However, the chief minister said that sharecroppers should also get benefits of the Centre's schemes along with the financial aid provided by the state government regardless of how much land they own.
Dubbing the Centre as a "cruel Government" for it's small advance to Bengal following the cyclone Amphan, she said that "Gujarat will not rule Bengal."
"I have never seen such a cruel government before. The state government had to spend about Rs.2,542 crore over the last budget to deal with the cyclone Amphan and the Covid-19 pandemic," said Mamata.
"With the Assembly elections inching closer it sees that there is nothing but BJP in the state. Their ministers and leaders are going to visit places in Bengal which they have never seen before," she added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday alleged that the TMC government is not implementing Central schemes such as the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi and Ayushman Bharat. He accused the TMC government of depriving small farmers and poor patients by blocking those schemes.
He also said that all the schemes would be implemented in Bengal in the first Cabinet meeting after BJP comes to power in the state.
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