Now, Krishak Bandhu scheme against self-declaration to help rope in 72L farmers

Kolkata: The announcement of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee allowing enrolment of farmers in Krishak Bandhu scheme against self-declaration is now going to help 72 lakh farmers to reap its benefits.

Till date, 47 lakh farmers have already been brought under the scheme by the state government. A dream project of the Chief Minister, it enabled family members of deceased farmers aged between 18 and 60 years to get compensation of Rs 2 lakh. At the same time, a farmer with one or more acre landholding is given financial assistance of Rs 5,000 per annum in Rabi and Kharif seasons.

But a section of farmers had to be earlier left out of the scheme as they were facing problems in getting mutation certificates to establish ownership of land. The state government then engaged officers from the state Land and Land Reforms department at Duare Sarkar camps to assist such farmers to settle those issues so that they can avail the benefits of Krishak Bandhu scheme. "Now, with this announcement by the Chief Minister, a maximum number of farmers would come under the scheme," said an official of the state government adding that there would be a penalty if one gives false declaration.

Sources said there was a high-level meeting on Saturday in which there was a detailed discussion on the modalities of bringing farmers under the scheme against their self-declaration. The modalities will be finalised on Monday.

The Chief Minister added that farmers will get the opportunity to avail the benefits of Krishak Bandhu scheme against self-declaration since they were facing problems in getting land-related documents and the state government wanted all farmers to be incorporated in the initiative.

Banerjee's announcement to provide maximum assistance to the farmers comes at a time when the Centre is facing scathing attacks for bringing in the draconian farm laws that are taking away all the rights of the farmers.

Most importantly, the annual financial assistance under the PM-Kisan scheme is Rs 1,214 per acre compared to that of Rs 5,000 under the state government's Krishak Bandhu scheme. Again, the state government is giving benefits to all farmer families while under PM-Kisan farmers with land holding up to 2 hectares are getting the benefit. There is no death benefit in the PM-Kisan scheme, unlike Krishak Bandhu.