West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee and BJP got into a high voltage clash on the money that has not reached farmers in the state under the PM Kisan Vikas Yojana programme. While BJP leaders say that the money is not being sent by the Centre to the West Bengal government, for disbursement among farmers due to the ‘cut money’ culture of the ruling Trinamool Congress.
Mamta Banerjee on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of trying to mislead the people with half-truth and distorted facts over the non-implementation of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme in the state.
She said the prime minister showed his apparent concern for the farmers through a televised address, instead of proactively working to resolve their issues.
She said in statement that while PM Narendra Modi publicly claimed his intention to help farmers of WB (West Bengal) through his PM Kisan Yojana and alleges non-cooperation of the state government, the fact is that he is trying to mislead the people with half-truth and distorted facts.
The prime minister lashed out at the West Bengal chief minister during a televised address, accusing her government of “destroying” the state and depriving its over 70 lakh farmers of benefits from the Centre’s flagship PM-KISAN scheme under which Rs 6,000 per year is given to each farmer.
State BJP president Dilip Ghosh told reporters here that TMC is seeking the cash money that is being disbursed by the Centre to the farmers be sent to the state government for subsequent disbursements.
“We have seen how money given by Narendra Modi to the West Bengal government to combat the disaster wrought by Cyclone Amphan have been squandered as it had swelled bank accounts of Trinamool Congress leaders,” he alleged.
This is why money will not be sent to the state government but directly transferred to the accounts of the farmers, Ghosh added.
Hitting back, Mamta Banerjee said that her government has always been ready to cooperate in the interest of the farmers. Maintaining that she has written two letters to the Union agriculture minister and has even spoken to him two days ago, Banerjee said “they are refusing to cooperate and are instead indulging in malicious propaganda for political gains”.
The chief minister said that when the state is implementing so many schemes with the central government, the question of not cooperating on a scheme that is benefiting farmers seems absurd.
Banerjee wrote to the Union agriculture minister on Monday, reiterating the state’s request to route the PM-KISAN funds through the West Bengal government for disbursal among the farmers. She had earlier written to the agriculture minister in September with the same proposal.
On the other hand, Mr Ghosh said that the farmers of the state are losing and “Once BJP comes to power in West Bengal (in the 2021 assembly polls) their dues will be given”.
On the saffron party’s poll preparations, he said it has started a new campaign which will be booth-based and guidelines have been laid out for the local party leaders.
Trinamool Congress has said that the Centre is spreading a false narrative that the West Bengal government is depriving the farmers from getting cash benefits and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had only asked that money be routed through the state instead of sending directly to their accounts.
