BJP West Bengal President Samik Bhattacharya. File. | Photo credit: DEBASISH BHADURI
Bharatiya Janta Party state president Samik Bhattacharya said that more than ₹10,500 crore has been paid to West Bengal farmers under the Pradhan Mantri-KISAN scheme. However, the Trinamool Congress leadership has charged on several occasions that Bengali farmers have not received any funds under the scheme, leading Chief Minister Banerjee to launch her own scheme to help farmers in the state.
“The 21st installment has been released covering 46 million farmers in West Bengal with a total disbursement of ₹920 crore. The first nine installments have been withdrawn from West Bengal farmers due to the state government’s delay in joining the PM-KISAN scheme,” Mr Bhattacharya said on Tuesday (November 18).
He further alleged that the first 10 installments of money under this scheme could not be released to Bengali farmers as the state government was “reluctant” to join the central scheme. He also alleged that the TMC-led WB government was trying its best to prevent the central government’s schemes for the marginalized and remote people from reaching their target masses and depriving the poor of Bengal of these benefits.
Under the central government’s scheme, eligible marginalized farmers are to get ₹6,000 each in three installments annually.
However, CM Banerjee had earlier claimed that even though their government had sent the verified names of the farmers to the central government, it had not released the funds. Instead, she started a program offering ₹5,000 each to Bengali peasants and also arranged for free crop insurance.
“These claims by Mr. Bhattacharya are absurd and baseless. When PM Modi launches a welfare scheme, state governments don’t necessarily enforce it. The Center cannot stop these schemes in states on its own terms. The PM collects money for these schemes from tax payers and not from his own pocket. Every state should benefit from it,” Prakash Majice Jay said in response to the issue by VMC state president. The Hindu on Tuesday (November 18).
Mr. Majumdar further added that some of these programs are better managed by the state government itself under its own special projects.
A long struggle for schemes
The BJP-led union government and the TMC-led WB government have engaged in a war of words on many occasions over the release of funds under central schemes and the lack thereof.
Schemes like the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (affordable housing scheme) have long been suspended in West Bengal following allegations of corruption. In both of these cases, Ms. Banerjee launched her own ambitious countermeasures.
Published – 18 Nov 2025 20:37 IST
