The West Bengal Cabinet on Thursday gave its green signal to increase the assistance to farmer-beneficiaries from Rs 5,000 per acre per year to Rs 10,000 under the Krishak Bandhu scheme, an official said.
Around 68.38 lakh small and marginal farmers will be benefitted from it.
In its election manifesto, the Trinamool Congress had promised to increase the annual financial aid to farmers from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 under the Krishak Bandhu scheme.
“The Cabinet today agreed to increase the assistance to Rs 10,000 for small and marginal farmers under the Krishak Bandhu scheme,” the official in the secretariat said.
The scheme, launched in 2018, used to provide farmers having one or more acres of landholding with an annual amount of Rs 5,000 (minimum Rs 2,000 per annum assistance on pro-rata basis).
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and other senior ministers were present at the Cabinet meeting, the official added.