‘Intentional delay?’ Congress questions release of PM Kisan instalments ahead of MP, Chhattisgarh elections
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday, released the 15th installment of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme for 8 crore farmers across the country. The ₹18,000 crore amount was released for farmers ahead of the state assembly elections scheduled to be held in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
The annual installment under the scheme was released in October last year. Questioning the timing of the installment, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh dropped a hint of the an ‘intentional delay’ by the centre to match its timing with state assembly elections.
The 15th instalment was transferred by PM Modi from a function celebrating the Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas in Jharkhand’s Khunti district on Wednesday. The PM transferred the money digitally to the bank accounts of the farmers by clicking a button.
“Now when elections are to be held in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh in 2 days, in Rajasthan in 10 days and in Telangana in 15 days, the 15th installment is being released today. Is this delay not intentional?” wrote Jairam Ramesh on X, formerly Twitter, in Hindi.
Within next two days, Madhya Pradesh will be held in a single-phase on November 17, in neighbouring Chhattisgarh, voting for the second-phase will be conducted. The first phase was conducted on November 7.
The sixth instalment of the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi was released on August 1, 2020, while the ninth instalment on August 9, 2021, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X in Hindi.
The 12th instalment was released on October 17 last year, said Ramesh, whose party aims to retain power in Chhattisgarh and defeat the BJP in Madhya Pradesh.
“The 15th instalment under PM-Kisan is coming today i.e. on November 15, 2023. Now when elections are to be held in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh in two days, in Rajasthan in 10 days and in Telangana in 15 days, the 15th instalment is being released today,” he said in his post on X.
“Is this delay not intentional?” Ramesh asked.
Polling in Rajasthan is scheduled for November 25 and in Telangana for November 30. The counting of votes for these states along with Mizoram will be held on December 3.
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Updated: 15 Nov 2023, 02:57 PM IST