'Half truth, distorted facts': Mamata counters PM Modi over PM Kisan

New Delhi, Dec 25: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday accused the Centre of trying to mislead farmers of West Bengal by repeatedly blaming the state government for depriving them of cash benefits under the 'PM Kisan Nidhi Samman' scheme.

"Today, PM showed apparent concern for farmers through televised address,instead of proactively working to resolve their issues. While he publicly claimed his intention to help farmers of West Bengal through his PM Kisan Yojana... in fact is he's trying to mislead people with half-truth," Mamata said.

"The fact is that Modi Government has done nothing to help West Bengal. They are yet to release even a portion of the Rs 85,000 crore of outstanding dues that includes unpaid GST dues of Rs 8,000 crore," she added.

Earlier in the day, speaking during a virtual event after releasing over Rs 18,000 crore to more than nine crore farmer families under the 'Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi' (PM-KISAN), PM Modi lashed out at the Trinamool Congress government while accusing it of 'destroying' the state.

"Today I regret that more than 70 lakh farmers of West Bengal have not been able to get benefits of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. More than 23 lakh farmers of Bengal have applied online to take advantage of this scheme. But the state government has stopped the verification process for so long," PM Modi said.

Hitting back, she said that her government has always been ready to cooperate in the interest of the farmers.

Maintaining that she has written two letters to the Union agriculture minister and has even spoken to him two days ago, Banerjee said "they are refusing to cooperate and are instead indulging in malicious propaganda for political gains".

Assembly elections are due in West Bengal in April-May next year and the BJP has already launched a massive campaign to unseat Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government in the state. Mamata Banerjee has been West Bengal's Chief Minister since 2011 after ending 34-year-old Left rule in the state.