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BJP ups ante against TMC as PM Modi releases financial benefits to farmers
The TMC, however, said the way the centre wants to transfer the money is not acceptable and the state government is providing financial assistance to farmers, which is higher
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) upped the ante against the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal accusing the state’s ruling party of depriving farmers from receiving financial benefits released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.
Modi released the next instalment of PM-Kisan, the direct cash-transfer scheme for farmers, worth Rs18,000 crore into bank accounts of 90 million farmers.
The BJP’s IT cell chief Amit Malviya attacked the Mamata Banerjee-government in a series of tweets.
“Today, when the PM will transfer 18,000 crore to 9 crore farmer families across the country, farmers of West Bengal will be deprived because the CM has refused to identify and submit the list of beneficiaries to the central government. Pishi’s ego means farmers suffer!” Malviya tweeted on Friday morning.
The TMC, however, said the way the Centre wants to transfer the money is not acceptable and the state government is providing financial assistance to farmers, which is higher than what the Centre provides.
“The state has already informed the Centre that the financial benefit needs to be routed through the state. The Centre giving direct benefit is against the federal structure. Secondly, the state government is providing farmers an assistance of Rs5,000 per acre, which is higher than the central benefit,” said Saugata Roy, TMC MP.
This comes just two days after the TMC chief Mamata Banerjee sent a team comprising five parliamentarians to meet agitating farmers at the Delhi-Haryana border.
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“Of the approx 72 lakh farmers in WB, nearly 23 lakh have self-registered on the central portal seeking benefits under the #PMKisan Samman Nidhi, but Pishi wouldn’t certify them! Each farmer in WB has so far lost Rs14,000 (including latest instalment) and the state 9,800 crore,” Malviya said in his second tweet.
Similar allegations were made by union home minister Amit Shah during his visit to the state last weekend.
“Only 55% of WB’s agricultural land is irrigated. Despite being a water-rich state, it is poorly irrigated. It ranks 24 out of 29 states. In terms of average monthly income of farmers as reported by NABARD in 2016-17, WB ranks low at 24 among 29 states. Pishi has failed farmers,” Malviya said in his tweet.
The PM’s outreach comes amid ongoing farmers’ protests against the three laws passed by the Parliament in September to reform the farm sector.
Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in West Bengal in 2021. BJP and TMC’s exchange over the PM-Kisan scheme is the latest in a war of words between the parties leading up to the election.
