Bengal govt to transfer Rs 2900 cr to 1.05 cr farmers
Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday announced that her government will be releasing Rs 2900 crore which will be credited directly to the bank accounts of about 1.05 crore farmers enrolled under Krishak Bandhu (Natun) scheme in the state.
She further announced the release of a sum of Rs 293 crore directly to the bank accounts of 2.10 lakh farmers who suffered crop losses due to adverse weather conditions during the current Rabi season.
Taking to her X handle, the Chief Minister wrote: “I am happy to announce that (apart from providing Rs. 2,900 cr. assistance to 1 crore 5 lakh farmers and bargadars across the state under the Krishak Bandhu Natun Scheme, we are also releasing today onwards a sum of Rs 293 crore directly to the bank accounts of our 2.10 lakh farmers who suffered crop losses due to adverse weather conditions during current Rabi season.
This is done under our unique Bangla Shasya Bima (BSB) which is our unique crop insurance scheme where the state Government pays the entire premium for all crops. Since inception in 2019, 3133 crore have reached the bank accounts of the affected one crore farmers! Jai Bangla!”
According to Banerjee, the release of financial assistance under Krishak Bandhu (New) happens to be the first instalment of such assistance for the Kharif season 2024, and an equal second instalment will go for Rabi season later this year. She said that for cultivable land of one acre onwards, a farmer gets Rs.10000, and for the lesser quantum of land, a proportionate amount with the minimum being Rs.4000 per year.
“Since inception in 2019, a sum of 18,234 crore has thus reached the farmers’ accounts. In addition, for a farmer dying between 18 and 60, his family gets death compensation of 2 lakh. Total 1,12,000 bereaved families in West Bengal have received a total of Rs 2240 crore in the last few years on this account. We are committed to our farmers’ economic betterment and social security,” Banerjee wrote in her X handle. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the state administration also announced the enhancement of retirement benefits for the home guards working in the state police and Kolkata Police.
The home guards will now get Rs 5 lakh as retirement benefits which was Rs 3 lakhs till date.
Mamata Banerjee also praised the activities of the tissue culture laboratory of the Food Processing and Horticulture department at Ayeshpur in Nadia for the distribution of over 26 lakh banana saplings produced at the laboratory among beneficiaries in different states in the financial year 2023-24.
The Chief Minister also expressed her displeasure over the alleged leaking of confidential files and information, particularly from the Home and Hill Affairs department and Finance department, and issued instructions for CCTV surveillance in rooms of all officers and staff of these two departments.