(ET)
More than 7 million farmers of West Bengal will now be able to directly enrol for the PM- KISAN scheme bypassing the state government, which is not keen to pursue the scheme that promises small and marginal farmers Rs 6,000 a year in three instalments.West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee has been a vocal critic of the scheme.
Until now, farmers could not get the benefits of the scheme without the involvement of the state government. But with the agriculture ministry launching direct enrolment on Tuesday, farmers could now register directly on the PM-KISAN portal with a self-declaration of land holding.The state government, however, will have to verify the Aadhaar seeding and other eligibility of farmers before the payment is transferred. The agriculture ministry held a video conference with states to inform them about the new initiative.
