Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra modi, alleging that he was trying to mislead people by telling half-truths and distorted facts over the non-implementation of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme in the state.
She said that the Prime Minister was feigning his concerns over the farmers’ issue, and was doing nothing proactive to resolve them.
“While he (PM 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,” Mamata said in a statement.
Earlier in the day, Modi had alleged that the Bengal government had destroyed the state and was doing politics by stopping over 70 lakh farmers of the state from getting benefits of the Centre's flagship PM-KISAN scheme under which Rs 6,000 is being provided every year.
Mamata countered that her government was always ready to cooperate with farmers.
Maintaining that she has written two letters to Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and has even spoken to him two days ago, the chief minister said "they are refusing to cooperate and are instead indulging in malicious propaganda for political gains".
Maintaining that she has written two letters to Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and has even spoken to him two days ago, the chief minister said, “They are refusing to cooperate and are instead indulging in malicious propaganda for political gains”.
She 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.
“Today I regret that more than 70 lakh farmers in West Bengal have not been able to get benefits of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. More than 23 lakh farmers of Bengal have applied online to take advantage of this scheme. But the state government has stopped the verification process for so long,” Modi had said in his address on Friday.
Quashing his accusations, Mamata said the BJP-led Union government is used to indulging in politicking even at the cost of violating the established practices and norms regarding the implementation of central schemes by state governments.
She also reminded the Centre of the GST dues, saying it is “yet to release even a portion of the Rs 85,000 crores of outstanding dues that includes unpaid GST dues of Rs 8,000 crores”.
He asked the prime minister to release the amount or a part of it if he truly cares about Bengal.
Stating that lakhs of farmers are protesting on the roads demanding the withdrawal of the new farm laws, the TMC supremo claimed that these enactments are anti-farmer as these “threaten to dilute the MSP, the state procurement system, and take away the basic protective mechanisms of the farmers, hence leaving them at the mercy of big private players”.
Mamata claimed that in the interest of the people of Bengal, her government will do everything that is needed on its part.
“Even if it means supporting schemes of central government that are purely meant to further their political agenda, are at odds with the spirit of federalism, and are definitely not guided by their desire to help the people at large; so long it ensures even incremental benefit for the people of Bengal,” she said in her statement.
