Bengal Budget: A 'double bonanza' for farmers; here is the total amount they will receive
West Bengal Budget: The West Bengal government has prioritized agriculture in its maiden budget. Farmers eligible for the Centre's PM Kisan Yojana will receive ₹6,000 annually in three equal installments. Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta announced this. In addition to the ₹6,000 provided by the Centre, farming families in the state will receive an extra ₹3,000 per year.
West Bengal Budget (Kolkata): Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta presented his first budget on Monday. He proposed an allocation of over ₹8,500 crore for agriculture in the budget. Several proposals have been made to offer concessions to farmers and ensure fair prices for their agricultural produce. Following the budget presentation, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari stated that industry and agriculture have been prioritized in this year's budget.
State to provide funds alongside the Centre
While presenting the budget, the Finance Minister said, "Farmers eligible for the Central Government's PM Kisan Yojana are receiving ₹6,000 annually in three equal installments. I am announcing additional financial assistance of ₹3,000 per farming family annually to meet their additional agricultural needs. This means that, in addition to the ₹6,000 assistance provided by the Central Government, farming families will receive another ₹3,000 annually from the State Government."
What the Finance Minister said about agriculture in the budget
Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta stated, "I propose allocating ₹364.99 crore for the Agricultural Marketing Department in the next financial year. I propose allocating ₹8,565.84 crore for the Agriculture Department in the next financial year." Regarding fiber cultivation, the Finance Minister said, "The Central Government's National Fiber Mission project will be launched with the aim of modernizing fiber cultivation, processing fiber products, improving the industry, and enhancing market access."
Digital Platform for Credit Facilities
Swapan Dasgupta stated that arrangements are being made to provide credit facilities for agricultural crops through a digital platform. To this end, the state government, in collaboration with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), proposes to launch a digital Kisan Credit Card system in West Bengal utilizing the RBI's Unified Lending Interface (ULI) facility. As a result of this initiative, the time required for loan approval will be reduced from 15 days to just 15 minutes.
Paperless Loan System
The Finance Minister stated that paperless loan approval would be made possible through API-based land information. Addressing farmers with up to 2 hectares of cultivable land, the Finance Minister said that eligible farmers would be able to avail the benefits of the PMKSY-PDMC scheme by paying only 10 percent of the project cost. The remaining amount would be provided by the state government, over and above its usual share in the scheme. I propose an allocation of ₹100 crore for this purpose.
Affordable Electricity for Farmers
Swapan Dasgupta also announced a reduction in electricity costs for farmers in today's budget. He stated that to lower farming costs and boost farmers' income, the government would provide a subsidy of ₹2 per unit on electricity used for submersible pumps in agricultural irrigation. The PM Dhan Dhanya Krishi Yojana (DDKY) has been launched in the districts of Alipurduar, Darjeeling, Purulia, and Jhargram with the aim of strengthening rural infrastructure.
What Suvendu Adhikari Said
After the budget presentation, Suvendu Adhikari remarked that industry and agriculture have been prioritized in this budget. Several measures have been taken for farmers. Beyond industry and employment, substantial support has been extended to farmers in this budget. The price of paddy is currently around ₹2,500 per quintal. An additional ₹200 has been announced on top of this. In line with our commitment, we will gradually raise this to ₹3,100; for now, an increase of ₹200 has been implemented.
Agriculture and Farmers Are Our Priority
The Chief Minister stated that the Central Government's Digital Agriculture Mission is being launched in the state to enable farmers to easily access government benefits. A special package has been announced for potato farmers; each farmer will receive an additional amount of 200 Taka per quintal. The Chief Minister mentioned that further decisions regarding farmers would be taken gradually. He added that this government is here for the long term and will continue to take more steps for the farmers over time.
