Burdwan (WB), Sept 25 West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday said his government will provide a power subsidy of Rs 2 per unit to nearly four lakh farmers in the state.
Addressing an administrative meeting in Purba Bardhaman, which he described as the state’s “proud granary”, Adhikari said farmers will get an enhanced support of Rs 9,000, instead of Rs 6,000, under the PM-Kisan scheme.
“Farmers will get electricity concessions of up to Rs 25,000-30,000 a year. More than four lakh farmers will get a subsidy of Rs 2 per unit of electricity,” he said.
An additional Rs 300 crore would be spent for the purpose, he said.
The chief minister warned middlemen and rice mill operators against exploiting farmers.
“There will be no middlemen, rice mill mafias or other people involved in cheating farmers. The government will purchase all the paddy. MLAs will act as the farmers’ guardians,” he said, adding that the state government would ensure a minimum support price of Rs 2,700 per quintal.
Alleging that the previous government subjected farmers to harassment, Adhikari said farmers supplying 100 quintals of paddy would receive an incentive of Rs 20,000.
On potato cultivation, Adhikari alleged that farmers had faced difficulties under the previous government, including fertiliser black marketing and problems related to cold storages.
“A special package for potato farmers will be announced in December,” he said.
“Under the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, farmers used to get Rs 6,000 a year. We have completed the verification. After adding eligible applicants, they will get another Rs 3,000 along with the Rs 6,000, making it Rs 9,000,” he said.
Adhikari said verification under the Krishak Bandhu scheme would be completed by September 30.
“Those who have land will get between Rs 4,000 and Rs 6,000 a year,” he said.
During the programme, Adhikari handed over cheques to beneficiaries from different districts under agriculture, irrigation, electricity subsidy and the Surya Ghar scheme.
He also inaugurated several infrastructure projects, including projects in Bhatar and a bridge over the Eden Canal at Chauberia in Jamalpur, besides projects related to power infrastructure.
The chief minister also highlighted the government’s welfare and development programmes, including rural employment, housing, health insurance and drinking water initiatives.
On recruitment, Adhikari said the government would make one lakh appointments across various departments during the current financial year.
He alleged that around 36,000 jobs had been cancelled during the previous government’s tenure because of irregularities in the recruitment process.
Promising greater transparency in future recruitment exams, he said, “Candidates will be given carbon copies of their answer sheets in the written exam. This will allow them to preserve their answers and later match them with the results.”
Adhikari also targeted Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee while speaking about alleged irregularities in the sand trade.
“Money from sand used to go directly to Camac Street. We have stopped everything,” he said.
“All the thieves will have to go to jail,” he added.
Adhikari said sand mining would resume from October and claimed that rates would come down once the quarries reopened.
He also said the government would take measures against drug trafficking.
“We will make drug traffickers serve 20 years in jail,” he said.
The chief minister also reiterated his government’s plans to introduce laws against religious conversion, “love jihad” and “land jihad”.
Speaking about Durga Puja, Adhikari said, “There will be no Durga Puja during Pitri Paksha. No liquor shop will be allowed to remain open on Ashtami. Bengal must come out of DJ culture.”
On the Annapurna scheme, Adhikari said beneficiaries whose applications had been approved after verification would receive the money before the Durga Puja festivities.
“Those whose names have been approved in verification will receive the money. The remaining beneficiaries will also have the money transferred before Puja,” he said.
He said 12,38,781 women aged between 25 and 60 had applied under the scheme in the district, of whom 11,56,332 had been provisionally approved.
According to the figures cited by him, 17,045 applications had been rejected, and 10,714 were pending verification, while 9,52,331 beneficiaries had already received the money.
“Those who are eligible will also receive the benefit. The previous government gave Rs 500 and took nine months to launch it. We have given the benefit to 1.58 crore women in less than five months,” Adhikari said.
He said eligible beneficiaries who were yet to receive the payment would get it in the following month.
Earlier in the day, Adhikari began his Purba Bardhaman visit by offering prayers at the Sarbamangala temple before addressing the administrative meeting at the Police Lines ground.
(PTI News)
