West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said today her government has sent names of 2.5 lakh farmers to the Centre for inclusion in PM-Kisan scheme but they were yet to get any benefit, retorting to prime minister Narendra Modi slamming the TMC government for no implementing Centre’s schemes in the state.

She also announced 1.5 crore jobs in the next five years. She asked why the Union government has yet not disbursed any cash benefit to these eligible beneficiaries under the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojna.

Responding to questions raised by MLAs during a debate on a vote-on-account, Miss Banerjee said the state government had received a list of six lakh applicants from the Centre for verification for inclusion in the programme, out of which 2.5 lakh names have been sent to them for financial assistance under the central welfare programme. Benefits of the Central scheme should also be made available to the sharecroppers, along with support provided by the state to all cultivators, irrespective of their landholdings, she added.

Under the PM-Kisan scheme, Rs 6,000 per year in three equal instalments is provided to farmer families having a combined landholding of up to two hectares.

It may be mentioned here that despite initial resistance to PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme for more than a year, Miss Banerjee had softened her government’s stand and agreed to implement the project in the state last month and had insisted to route the funds through the state government for disbursal among the farmers.

Addressing a rally in Haldia on Sunday, Modi had criticised the state government for not implementing Central schemes like Ayushman Bharat and PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi and had asserted that once the BJP forms its government in the state, it will take steps to implement all such stalled programmes at the very first cabinet meeting.

Later while attending a programme to felicitate sportspersons Miss Banerjee slammed the Centre over the rising unemployment rate while announcing 1.5 crore new jobs in the next five years and said that 1.5 crore have already been employed.

“Forty per cent unemployment has risen in the country though in West Bengal there has been a decrease in 40 per cent poverty. We have already given 1.5 crore jobs and will create another 1.5 crore employment in the next five years. Those who come to our state to tell lies should know these figures because these are all government data,” she said.

On the occasion, she launched 19 projects with investment proposals worth Rs 72,200 crore and scope of generating 3.29 lakh jobs.

Further, Miss Banerjee announced Rs 1,000 pension to over 2,000 former sportsmen as a mark of humanitarian respect and urged them to enroll in the government-sponsored Swasthya Sathi health scheme, which will be renewed every three years.

Taking a dig at the questions raised over disbursing financial aid to clubs, Miss Banerjee asked why should not be the clubs helped. “Clubs help local people whenever they are in trouble. They are the ones who hold events, blood donation camps and are beside people during all kinds of crises. They had helped in Amphan relief work as well,” she said.

A total of 8289 clubs have 26,000 clubs will be given Rs one lakh assistance each, 61 sports coaching centres Rs one lakh each and 34 sports association Rs five lakh each. Among the 19 projects that were launched today include setting up of a new Common Effluent Plant at Kolkata Leather Complex that will enable 180 new tanneries to function, a mega powerloom cluster at Habra in North 24 Parganas, a common facility centre for bhawaiya artists at Coochbehar, a silk park in Malda, an industrial park in Fulbari in Malda, a mega industrial and logistics park in Mekhligunj in Coochbehar, a pharmaceutical park in Falta, an industrial park in Budge Budge, an industrial park in Burjora, a toy park in West Midnapore, an industrial park in Balurghat and others.