West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said in Hooghly district on Thursday, November 5, that 46 lakh farmers in West Bengal will receive benefits under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, PTI reported. In a separate statement at the same programme, he said the state's BJP government has brought 1.71 lakh more farmers under the PM-KISAN scheme.

Source: PTI via Dailyworld

The Chief Minister also promised an electricity subsidy to four lakh farmers of the state and said the Bengal government, committed to farmers' welfare, will give a subsidy of Rs 50 per quintal to potato growers. He further said the government will devise a special package for farmers in Jhargram, Purulia and Alipurduar districts. These are announcements made by the Chief Minister at the Hooghly programme, as reported by PTI.

Source: PTI via Dailyworld

The state top-up whose first payment was due today

The Hooghly programme comes on the day the state government's Mukhyamantri Krishak Samman Nidhi was scheduled to make its first payment: under the notified scheme, eligible PM-KISAN beneficiaries in West Bengal receive an additional Rs 3,000 a year from the state in three instalments, with the first payment of Rs 2,000 scheduled for November 5 through direct benefit transfer, launched from Pursurah in Hooghly district. The scheme was notified after cabinet approval in October.

Source: GovtSchemes.in — West Bengal Mukhyamantri Krishak Samman Nidhi Scheme

With the state top-up of Rs 3,000 a year added to the central PM-KISAN assistance, eligible farmer families in Bengal stand to receive a combined Rs 9,000 a year, subject to the scheme's eligibility conditions. Farmers can apply or update their details through the office of the Assistant Director of Agriculture in their block, according to the scheme notification.

Source: GovtSchemes.in — West Bengal Mukhyamantri Krishak Samman Nidhi Scheme