Kolkata/Burdwan: CM Suvendu Adhikari on Friday announced a series of welfare measures for farmers, including additional power subsidy, higher financial assistance and a minimum support price of Rs 2,700/quintal for paddy.A subsidy of Rs 2 per unit will translate into an annual benefit of Rs 25,000-30,000 on electricity used for irrigation by more than 4 lakh farmers, Adhikari said. This would involve an additional allocation of Rs 300 crore from the state exchequer.While Centre provides Rs 6,000 annually under PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi, state govt would add Rs 3,000, taking the total assistance to Rs 9,000 per farmer, the CM said. The reassessment of beneficiaries under Krishak Bandhu scheme will be done by Sept 30, he said.The CM said state govt will procure paddy from farmers owning up to five acres of land at an MSP of Rs 2,700 per quintal. Issuing a warning to middlemen and rice mill operators, Adhikari said govt will directly procure the entire quantity of paddy. Farmers selling 100 quintals of paddy will receive an additional incentive of Rs 20,000.Taking a swipe at the previous Trinamool govt, Adhikari referred to difficulties faced by potato growers, alleging that fertiliser black marketing, sealing of interstate borders and pressure on cold-storage owners had caused severe losses to farmers. “We will distribute subsidised fertilisers to potato growers. You will start preparing land in Dec, and cultivation will begin in Jan. Before that, I will announce a special package for potato growers,” he said.The CM also highlighted the progress of Annapurna Yojana in East Burdwan, saying that a total of 9,52,331 beneficiaries out of 12,38,781 applications have received the payout.Referring to marriages and pregnancies involving girls below 18, the CM said: “From Jan 1 to June 30, sixty thousand deliveries took place in govt hospitals. Murshidabad is number one and South 24 Parganas is second. I am warning all those involved, including qazis or priests. We have not come to office merely to provide allowances.”On industry, Adhikari said: “Two days ago, I went to Mumbai and held meetings with Mukesh Ambani and Anant Ambani. They will work in five sectors and invest in Bengal. Gautam Adani came here. Adani Arogya Mandir, an international hospital, is being set up.”The CM reiterated that state govt will provide one lakh jobs during the current financial year.Laws against ‘love jihad’ & ‘land jihad’ soon: CMCM Suvendu Adhikari on Friday said the state would soon enact stringent laws against “love jihad” and “land jihad” and introduce a Uniform Civil Code. “After UCC, we will bring a law against religious conversion,” he said, while addressing an administrative review meeting in Burdwan. “We will establish the rights of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Whoever has prepared fake certificates and whoever has obtained them will all go to jail,” the CM added.
