Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday attacked TMC chief Mamata Banerjee and said that her ideology has destroyed West Bengal. He also lashed out at the Trinamool Congress government for not letting over 70 lakh state farmers benefit from the Centre's direct money transfer scheme. He said that her actions against farmers hurt me a lot.
"The farmers of Bengal have been deprived of the benefits of the Centre's schemes. Bengal is the only state which is not allowing benefits of the schemes to reach the farmers," PM Modi said while addressing farmers.
Why no protest for ensuring PM-KISAN
The prime minister wondered while there were agitations against the new farm bills, no protests were visible against West Bengal's decision of not implementing PM-Kisan scheme. He questioned opposition for their silence over Mamata Banerjee's actions. He said, "Why is the Opposition quiet on this?"
The prime minister wondered while there were agitations against the new farm bills, no protests were visible against West Bengal's decision of not implementing PM-Kisan scheme.
70 lakh farmers deprived of PM-KISAN benefits
Around 70 lakh farmers of West Bengal are not getting the benefit of this scheme, which is fully funded by the Centre, he said while addressing a virtual event after releasing over Rs 18,000 crore to more than nine crore farmer families under the 'Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi' (PM-KISAN).
Under the PM-KISAN scheme, a financial benefit of Rs 6,000 per year is provided to small and marginal farmers, payable in three equal instalments of Rs 2,000 each. The fund is transferred directly to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.
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Assembly elections are due in West Bengal by the middle of this year.
Modi said more than 23 lakh West Bengal farmers have applied online to take advantage of this scheme, but the state government has stopped the verification process for so long.
PM Modi said everyone knows how the state has been ruined by the political ideology of those who ruled there for decades. "The public is watching those doing selfish politics very closely. The parties that do not speak on the benefit of farmers in West Bengal are engaged in harassing the citizens of Delhi here in the name of the farmers and are ruining the economy of the country," he said.