Implement Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana or bring your own: Punjab BJP chief tells CM Mann

Chandigarh, April 10 (IANS) Punjab BJP President, Sunil Jakhar on Friday lashed out at Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for not implementing the Central government's Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana in the state. He accused CM Mann of "handing over" his responsibilities to AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal. 

Sponsored by the Central government, the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) is a crop insurance scheme that brings together multiple stakeholders, including farmers, insurance companies, financial institutions and government agencies, on a single platform.

Speaking to IANS, Jakhar said, "There are still some states where the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana has not been implemented. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had said three years ago that Punjab would not implement the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and would instead introduce its own state crop insurance scheme. Now three years have passed."

He alleged that last year, farmers suffered major losses and added that "about 4.5 lakh acres of land was damaged."

Adding to his allegations against the Punjab Chief Minister, Jakhar said, "CM Bhagwant Mann has handed over the responsibilities of the chief minister's post to AAP National Convener and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal."

"And what will Kejriwal know about the plight of farmers. People also understand this," he said.

He accused the elected members in Punjab of "surrendering" to the AAP chief. "These people, who have been elected within a democracy, have surrendered themselves to Kejriwal. And Kejriwal does not feel any pain about the people of Punjab," he alleged.

Further accusing CM Mann, Jakhar said that the Chief Minister has neither implemented the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana nor has he brought his own crop insurance scheme.

He emphasised that farmers are getting stuck amid all this.

The Punjab BJP chief said, "Chief Minister (Mann) is forgetting that this is not a joke. This is the question of the lives of lakhs of farmers. As a Chief Minister it is his responsibility to implement the Centre's scheme. If not then he should implement his own scheme."

--IANS

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