Will implement PM-Kisan, Ayushman Bharat if funds routed through state govt: Mamata writes to Centre

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to the Centre clearing her government's stand, saying the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi and Ayushman Bharat schemes will be implemented in Bengal if the funds are routed through the state government.

In a letter to Union Agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar on September 9, Banerjee said the state government has already introduced similar schemes, including the Krishak Bandhu scheme for the farmers, long before the Centre's initiative.

This has brought an end to all controversy over the state not allowing farmers to derive the benefits of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.

On the same day, she also wrote to Union Health minister Harsh Vardhan clearing the state's stand in connection with Ayushman Bharat. This comes when Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar wrote to the Chief Minister on September 21 stating that farmers in Bengal are deprived of the benefits of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.

Banerjee, who has repeatedly raised her voice against the Centre for adversely affecting the federal structure of the country by bypassing the state governments on various occasions, stated in her letter to Tomar that "however, we will be happy to provide benefits to the farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, and in that case, the Central Government may transfer the requisite fund direct to the State Government for further disbursement with full responsibility, to the beneficiaries, through the State Government machinery".

She further stated that on different occasions it is heard that the Bengal government is not implementing the Centre's Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. The state government's very own Kishak Bandhu scheme provides each of the 73 lakh farmers and sharecroppers Rs 5,000 financial assistance every year and next of kin of farmers aged between 18 and 60 years get support of Rs 2 lakh. At the same time, the state government pays the entire premium of the crop insurance called Banglar Sashya Bima.

"So, you can easily understand that the state government has provided adequate assistance to the farming community in Bengal for which a huge amount is spent every year from the state budget," Banerjee stated in her letter.

Similarly, she wrote to Vardhan that her government is providing cent percent free-of-cost treatment and launched the Swasthya Sathi scheme under which free treatment is available even in private hospitals as well covering 7.5 crore beneficiaries. Even Rs 5 lakh per family per year is given for the treatment of critical illness, including cancer, heart and kidney diseases. The state government bears the entire cost for the same. "Ayushman Bharat Scheme may be extended by the government of India with an entire 100 percent expenditure for the scheme in such a case, the entire funding for the scheme may be routed through the state government," she added.

Both the letters were written on September 9 and released to the media on Tuesday evening.

The letters were released after Dhankhar questioned Banerjee's opposition to the Farm Bills when her government has not implemented the Central scheme for the benefit of farmers.