Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday accused each other of working against the welfare of farmers.
Modi said that Banerjee was depriving 70 lakh farmers of West Bengal by not allowing the implementation of the Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, or PM-KISAN, scheme under which Rs 6,000 is given to farmers each year, according to PTI.
“I regret that more than 70 lakh farmers of West Bengal have not been able to get benefits of PM-Kisan,” Modi said at an event on Friday morning, while releasing Rs 18,000 crore in the latest tranche of the scheme. “More than 23 lakh farmers of Bengal have applied online to take advantage of this scheme. But the state government has stopped the verification process for so long.”
He also wondered why there were agitations in the state against the three new agriculture laws, but not on this matter. “The public is watching those doing selfish politics very closely,” the prime minister said. “The parties that do not speak on the benefit of farmers in West Bengal are engaged in harassing the citizens of Delhi.”
Meanwhile, Banerjee hit back at the prime minister asserting that he had done nothing for West Bengal, NDTV reported. She claimed that the Centre was yet to release Rs 85,000 crore worth of outstanding dues to the state, including Rs 8,000 crore in Goods and Services Tax compensation.
The chief minister dismissed Modi’s criticism on the PM-Kisan scheme and blamed the Centre of not cooperating instead. “I personally have written two letters and have spoken to the concerned minister two days ago but they are refusing to cooperate and are indulging in propaganda for political gains,” she said, according to NDTV. “When we are implementing so many schemes with Centre, the question of not cooperating on a scheme that is benefiting farmers seems absurd.”
Banerjee also rebutted to Modi’s comment that her ideology has destroyed West Bengal. Responding to this, the Trinamool Congress chief said her ideology was “consistent with the vision of founding fathers of this country”.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress MP Sougata Roy also accused the Centre of trying to mislead farmers on the PM-Kisan scheme, reported PTI.
“BJP is repeatedly saying the farmers of West Bengal are being deprived of cash under this scheme,” he said, while speaking to reporters in Kolkata. “That is not true. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had asked the Centre to route the cash benefits through the state government and not directly to the farmers. The intention of the Modi government is to reap political benefits.”
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