The Krishak Bandhu Scheme is a flagship initiative launched by the Government of West Bengal in 2019, aimed at providing financial assistance and insurance coverage to the farming community. This scheme is designed to support farmers by ensuring a continuous income and offering protection against unforeseen circumstances, particularly the untimely demise of a farmer.

Objectives of the Krishak Bandhu Scheme

The primary objectives of the Krishak Bandhu Scheme are:

1. Financial Support: To assist farmers financially during the pre-production stage by providing funds for purchasing agricultural inputs.
2. Income Protection: To provide income protection to farm families in case of a farmer’s unexpected death.

Components of the Scheme

The Krishak Bandhu Scheme consists of two main components:

• Assured Income Scheme: This component guarantees financial support to farmers based on their landholding. Farmers with one acre or more of cultivable land receive ₹10,000 per year, while those with less than one acre receive ₹4,000 per year. The assistance is disbursed in two equal installments—one during the Kharif season and the other during the Rabi season.
• Death Benefit Scheme: In the unfortunate event of a farmer’s death (or a recorded sharecropper) aged between 18 and 60 years, their legal heirs are eligible for a one-time grant of ₹2,00,000. This financial aid helps families cope with the loss and provides some financial stability during difficult times.

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for the Krishak Bandhu Scheme, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Be a resident of West Bengal.
• Have cultivable land with a Record of Rights (RoR), Patta, or Forest Patta.
• Recorded sharecroppers (Bhagchasi) are also eligible for assistance.
• Legal heirs can claim the death benefit if the farmer or sharecropper passes away within the specified age range.

Application Process

Farmers can apply for the Krishak Bandhu Scheme through both offline and online methods:

Online Process

Registration Process:

1. Visit the official website: https://bsk.wb.gov.in/register
2. Click on “New User? Register Here” and enter your mobile number and then OTP.
3. On the registration page, fill in the mandatory details (Name, Email, Mobile Number, Address and Password, etc.) and click on “Register”. The login credentials will be sent to your registered Email ID / Mobile Number.

Application Process:

1. Visit the official website: https://bsk.wb.gov.in/citizenlogin
2. Enter your mobile number & password and click on ‘Login’.
3. Search the scheme by its name.
4. On the application page, fill in all the mandatory fields and upload the required documents in the appropriate file size and file type. Upon successful submission of the application, you will get an Application Reference ID.

Offline Process

Application Process: Krishak Bandhu (Assured Income) Scheme

1. The farmer is to fill up and submit the application form in the Gram Panchayat (GP) where he has maximum land holding.
2. The farmer has to submit photocopies of the relevant documents at the time of application and also produce the original for verification.
3. The Farmer whose application is accepted at the camp will be verified online using the Krishak Bandhu (KB) App (depending on the availability of internet connectivity) and the applicant will be issued an Acknowledgement Slip on the spot.
4. In case digitization of physical applications is not possible at the Duare Sarkar camp, the same will be digitized at the office of the Assistant Director of Agriculture (ADA) of the Block using the KB App and an Acknowledgement ID will be automatically generated for every applicant in the KB Portal.
5. The ADA will verify the application details and land details.
6. After checking, if the details are found to be correct, the ADA will approve the case and thereby the enrolment will get completed. If the details are incorrect, he will reject the application and file it. The applicant will get a system-generated SMS stating the reason for rejection.

Application Process: Krishak Bandhu (Death Benefit) Scheme

1. Applicant can collect the application form from the Duare Sarkar camp.
2. Duly filled-up application in the prescribed form addressed to the Assistant Director of Agriculture (ADA) of the Block should be submitted along with relevant documents.
3. The ADA of the block will scrutinize the application to satisfy himself about its genuineness and completeness. If found in order, the ADA will forward the application with all documents to the Assistant Director of Agriculture (Admn.) of the Subdivision.
4. The ADA (Admn.) will sanction the application after necessary checks and send the case to the Director of Agriculture & EoS through the Deputy Director of Agriculture (Admn.) of that district for payment of the grant.
5. The DAWB & EoS will issue instructions to the West Bengal State Co-operative Bank Ltd. (WBSCBL) to disburse the grant.
6. The WBSCBL will transfer the approved amount of the grant to the respective claimants in their respective bank accounts through DBT.

Required Documents

Applicants need to provide specific documents when applying:

For Assured Income:

• Latest RoR of Cultivable Land/ RoR recorded with Barga / Patta Record/ Forest Patta
• Valid Voter ID card (mandatory)
• Aadhaar Card (optional)
• Bank pass book 1st page/ Cancelled Cheque
• One passport-size recent photograph (original)
• Valid mobile phone number

For Death Benefit:

• Photocopy of the Identity of the deceased farmer/recorded Bhagchasi (Voter Id/Aadhar card/Pan card/Passport)
• Photocopy of the death certificate of the deceased farmer/recorded Bhagchasi
• Eligible applicant’s certificate(s) from the BDO
• ROR of the deceased farmer/recorded Bhagchasi
• Self-declaration of the applicant in a specified format (available at the camp). In the case of juvenile applicants, his/her legal guardian’s declaration will also be required on the self-declaration form

Conclusion

The Krishak Bandhu Scheme represents a significant step towards supporting farmers in West Bengal by providing essential financial assistance and security. With its dual focus on assured income and death benefits, this scheme aims to enhance the livelihoods of farmers while ensuring their families are protected against unforeseen hardships. By simplifying access to these benefits through an organized application process, the government is committed to fostering a more resilient agricultural community in West Bengal.