The State Government has aimed for a target of 72 lakh farmer families for paying the grants under the Krishak Bandhu Scheme, announced by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on December 31.
The handing over of the cheques had begun on January 30 at a programme in Rampurhat in Birbhum district, which the Agriculture Minister presided over.
For now, the Agriculture Department has listed the names of 15 lakh farmers as beneficiaries, with the rest of the names to be finalised soon. The Finance Department has allotted Rs 4,500 crore to the Agriculture Department for the purpose in the first week of February.
The grant for each farmer amounts to Rs 5,000 for an acre of land, to be paid through cheques. The amount would be handed over in two instalments of Rs 2,500 each.
Those owning less than an acre would received a proportional amount. However, in the first phase, each farmer would get a minimum amount of Rs 2,000. The first instalment would be given now and the next, six months later.
The beneficiaries are being selected only after showing proper documents for the plots in question. For those who do not have the documents, special camps have been opened in every panchayat office for making them. Officers of the Land and Land Reforms Department are also present in these camps.
Valid documents include property deeds for owned plots and lease deeds for leased plots. Sharecroppers or bargadars and owners of pattas are also eligible to receive payment under Krishak Bangla Scheme, the relevant ownership documents for them being record of rights (ROR) document and patta record, respectively.
Source: Ei Samay
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