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 of receiving financial benefits issued by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.
Modi launched the next installment of PM-Kisan, the farmers direct cash transfer scheme, worth Rs 18 billion in bank accounts of 90 million farmers.
The head of the BJP’s IT cell, Amit Malviya, attacked the Mamata Banerjee government in a series of tweets.
“Today, when the prime minister transfers 18 billion rupees to 9 million rupee farm families across the country, West Bengal farmers will be deprived because the CM has refused to identify and present the list of beneficiaries to the government. central. Pishi’s ego means that farmers suffer! “Malviya tweeted on Friday morning.
The TMC, however, said that the way the Center wants to transfer the money is not acceptable and that the state government is providing financial assistance to farmers, which is higher than that provided by the Center.
“The state has already informed the Center that the financial benefit must be sent through the state. The Direct Benefit Center is against the federal structure. Second, the state government is providing farmers with an aid of Rs 5,000 per acre, which is higher than the core benefit, ”said Saugata Roy, MP of TMC.
This comes just two days after TMC Director Mamata Banerjee dispatched a team of five MPs to meet with agitated farmers on the Delhi-Haryana border.
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“Of the approximately 72 lakh farmers in WB, almost 23 lakh have self-registered on the central portal seeking benefits under the #PMKisan Samman Nidhi, but Pishi would not certify them! Every WB farmer has lost 14,000 rupees so far (including the latest delivery) and the state 9.8 billion rupees, “Malviya said in his second tweet.
The union’s interior minister, Amit Shah, made similar allegations during his visit to the state last weekend.
“Only 55% of WB’s agricultural land is irrigated. Despite being a state rich in water, it is poorly watered. It is ranked 24th out of 29 states. In terms of farmers’ average monthly income as reported by NABARD in 2016-17, WB ranks low at 24th out of 29 states. Pishi has failed the farmers, ”Malviya said in his tweet.
The prime minister’s reach comes amid continued protests by farmers against three laws passed by Parliament in September to reform the agricultural sector.
Assembly elections are scheduled to take place in West Bengal in 2021. The BJP and TMC exchange on the PM-Kisan scheme is the latest in a war of words between the parties leading up to the elections.
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