West Bengal announces Krishak Bandhu scheme

The government of West Bengal has announced the Krishak Bandhu scheme to address farm distress in the state.

Features of the Scheme:

• The West Bengal government will give annual financial assistance of Rs 5,000 per acre in two instalments, one during Kharif and another during Rabi season.
• Farmers can also take the financial assistance at one go.
• The scheme also provides for a life insurance cover of Rs 2,00,000 in case of death, irrespective of the cause, of an earning family member (farmer) aged between 18 and 60 years. 
• Farmers are not required to pay any premium to avail the insurance benefit.
• The scheme would cover 72 lakh farmer and share-cropper families in the State.

Financial burden on the exchequer:

• The average land holding per cultivator in West Bengal is pegged at around 0.5 hectares (or 1.2 acres).
• Hence the average financial assistance to a farmer would come around to Rs 6000.
• To cover 50 lakh farmers, the burden on the exchequer would be Rs 3000 Cr.

Question:

Q. The government of West Bengal has announced which scheme to address farm distress in the state?
a. Krishak Mitra
b. Krishak Bandhu
c. Krishak Sahayak
d. None of the above