New Delhi: The Centre has released Rs 6,466.58 crore to West Bengal under the income support scheme for farmers, PM-KISAN, in the last five years, benefitting more than 51 lakh farmers, officials said on Tuesday.
A day before West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the officials said the farmers in the eastern state also availed the urea subsidy to the tune of Rs 6,176.79 crore in 2022-23.
Besides, the farmers in West Bengal have been paid claims of about Rs 1,219 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, the officials said.
They said a total amount of Rs 127.86 crore has been disbursed to more than one lakh beneficiaries under the PM-Svanidhi microfinance initiative for street vendors.
The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal has been accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre of resorting to a financial blockade of the state by holding up payments for rural jobs scheme MGNREGA and the PM-AWAS Yojana, the housing-for-all initiative.