State gives Rs 80 cr as one-time financial aid under Krishak Bandhu Death Benefit scheme in Feb

The state Agriculture department, in February, released Rs 80 crore to provide one-time financial assistance under the Krishak Bandhu Death Benefit scheme, benefitting 4,000 families of deceased farmers. In the current financial year, 34,000 farmer families have received financial assistance of Rs 680 crore till date.

More than 1.03 crore beneficiary farmers, including Bargadars, are enrolled under the scheme at present and have already received Rs 2815 crore in their bank accounts for Rabi season 2023-24. This includes 2.50 lakh newly-approved Krishak Bandhu beneficiaries who applied at the 8th edition of Duare Sarkar camps and Sarasori Mukhyamantri.

The Krishak Bandhu scheme was launched in 2018-19 by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and is a fully state-funded direct cash benefit transfer to farmers, including Bargadars. Earlier, the amount of financial assistance was Rs 5,000 for cultivable lands of one acre and more and a minimum of Rs 2,000 per annum, which was doubled in 2021 with the relaunch of the Krishak Bandhu (Natun) scheme on June 17, 2021. As per commitments by Banerjee, the financial assistance was increased to Rs 10,000 for cultivable lands of one acre and more and a proportionate amount for land area below one acre with a minimum of Rs 4,000 per annum in two equal instalments before Kharif and Rabi season every year.

Since the launch of the scheme in 2019, more than 1.07 lakh bereaved farmer families have been provided with assistance amounting to Rs 2,140 crore.

Under the Krishak Bandhu scheme on the death of any farmer between 18 to 60 years of age, the next of kin are extended one-time financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each and covers any farmer irrespective of cause of death.

Since the inception of the scheme in 2019, more than Rs 18,190 crore has been disbursed to enrolled farmers under Krishak Bandhu till date.