Bengal’s 2.5 lakh fishermen will not be able to get interest benefits announced in Friday’s interim budget as none has been issued Kisan Credit Cards by banks.

The interim budget has announced a 2 per cent interest subvention for fishermen and those engaged in animal husbandry when they are hit by calamities, besides 3 per cent relief on timely repayment of bank loans taken through KCC.

“We have tried over the past to ensure fishermen get KCCs. But the banks did not issue a single card to the fishermen in Bengal. So, we feel the facility announced in the interim budget is nothing but an eyewash,” said Pradip Majumdar, agriculture adviser to chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

Sources at Nabanna said since first coming to power in 2011, the Trinamul government had pushed for KCCs to ensure that small and marginal farmers could secure institutional loans instead of being depending on local moneylenders.

“The state has achieved some success in KCCs for farmers, which stands at 40 lakh, but failed to ensure such cards for fishermen. The state had tried to get KCCs for fishermen after the Centre announced some facilities for fishermen last year,” said a senior official.

A Kisan card entitles a farmer to loan from banks — both nationalised and cooperatives — at 4 per cent interest.

If fishermen were issued KCCs, they could have benefited as they need money to maintain boats and buy nets at regular intervals.

“The subvention of interest would have been very beneficial for them. But those who live in Bengal will not get the facility. Both banks and the state cannot wash their hands of their responsibilities,” said a senior official.

While Majumdar, the chief minister’s agriculture adviser, blamed banks solely, some bank representatives claimed a lack of initiative on the state government’s part.

“I have raised the issue repeatedly at the state-level bankers’ committee (SLBC) meetings. The banks could not show any reason for rejecting the fishermen’s applications. It is clear they did not want them to get KCC,” said Majumdar.

But SLBC sources said none of the fishermen could submit documents — such as papers to show ownership of boats or nets — required to issue the cards.

“The state should have helped them arrange the papers and file proper applications,” said a source.

Senior state officials, however, contended that all 2.5 lakh fishermen had been issued identity cards under a joint programme with the Centre and those IDs should have been considered the most important documents for KCCs.

State fisheries minister Chandranath Sinha said: “The Centre did not think about the fishermen in the past four budgets. They thought about it as elections are near. We think the proposal is a hoax as it is an interim budget only.”

The sources at Nabanna said the picture on animal husbandry was no different.

“No initiative was taken to ensure KCCs for them so far,” said a Nabanna official.