Kolkata: The West Bengal government led by Mamata Banerjee last week indicated its willingness to implement the Central government's PM Kissan Yojana for farmers in the state. Earlier, the Chief Minister had stated that the money should be transferred to the state but now she said that her government has no problem if the money is directly transferred to farmers.
The Chief Minister said that she has asked the Centre to share details of all those who have registered themselves on the Union government's portal for the programme. Addressing a press meet in Kolkata, Mamata said, "I had repeatedly asked the Centre to transfer funds allotted under the PM-Kisan scheme to the state government. Recently, they (central government officials) claimed that around 21,70,000 farmers from Bengal have registered themselves on a portal to avail benefits of the scheme."
"They (Centre) have sought verification of this data. I understood that the Centre was trying to politicise the matter. We realised that farmers should not suffer because of this... I have asked the Centre to pass on the data so that we can start the verification process," she said.
Mamata said that she would want the farmers of the state to get all possible help, in addition to the assistance being doled out by her government, adding "I want the farmers to get all benefits. We do have our schemes, but if they get extra benefits... Let them avail it. However, if the Centre doesn't trust us with the verification process, then it is up to them."
In the past, she had opposed the implementation of Central schemes, saying that her government would allow PM- Kisan Samman Nidhi and Ayushman Bharat programmes in the state, only if funds to the beneficiaries are routed through the state government. Criticising the Centre over the new farm laws, the Bengal CM said arrangements would soon be made to convene an assembly session to pass a resolution against the contentious legislations. She, however, asserted that she would never allow the implementation of the three farm laws, which have sparked protests across the country.
Mamata said, "We are against those farm laws. We would soon convene an assembly session for a day or two and pass a resolution against the anti-farmer laws." Notably, West Bengal would become the sixth state in the country to do so, after Kerala, Delhi, Punjab, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, if it passes the resolution.
