West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said her government has started releasing a total of Rs 293 crore directly to the bank accounts of 2.1 lakh farmers in the state, who suffered crop losses due to adverse weather conditions during the current Rabi season.

She also said the aid was in addition to the Rs 2,900 crore assistance to 1.05 crore farmers and tenants in the state, who were enrolled in the 'Krishak Bandhu (Natun)' scheme.

"I am happy to announce that (apart from providing Rs 2,900 cr assistance to 1 crore 5 lakh farmers and bargadars across the state under the Krishak Bandhu Natun Scheme), we are also releasing today onwards a sum of Rs 293 crore directly to the bank accounts of our 2.10 lakh farmers who suffered crop losses due to adverse weather conditions during current Rabi season," Banerjee wrote on X.

The Bengal CM said the assistance of Rs 2,900 crore to farmers was under the state's crop insurance scheme 'Bangla Shasya Bima (BSB)'.

"This is done under our unique Bangla Shasya Bima (BSB), which is our unique crop insurance scheme where the state government pays the entire premium for all crops," she said.

Since the launch of the scheme in 2019, the state government has disbursed a total of Rs 3,133 crore to the bank accounts of the affected one crore farmers.

To provide financial assistance to all farmers of West Bengal for agricultural purposes and to ensure social security to farm families in the event of the untimely death of farmers, the state government launched the 'Krishak Bandhu' scheme in 2019.

The scheme was renamed as 'Krishak Bandhu (Natun)' and relaunched by Banerjee in June 2021.

Source - https://www.business-standard.com