The West Bengal Agriculture Department has introduced the "Mukhyamantri Krishak Samman Nidhi" (MKSN) in Notification No. 1128-AG/O/9M(Nab)-56/2026 dated 29.10.2026. It has two components: ₹6,000 or ₹4,000 a year for the State’s farm families, and an extra ₹3,000 a year from the State for beneficiaries of PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi. A farm family with even one government employee or pensioner is excluded.
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What the notification says
The notification says the scheme aims to support agricultural activity, improve farm productivity and strengthen the financial security of farm families. It applies across West Bengal and is issued with the Finance Department’s approval (UO No. Group A-I/2026-2027/0023 dated 23.07.2026 and UO No. Group A-I/2026-2027/0049 dated 25.09.2026) and Cabinet approval (No. 309 dated 21.10.2026).
Component-1: annual assistance to farm families
| Cultivable land | Assistance a year | Per instalment (two equal) |
|---|---|---|
| 40 decimals or more | ₹6,000 | ₹3,000 |
| Less than 40 decimals | ₹4,000 | ₹2,000 |
- Who is eligible: farm families resident in West Bengal who own cultivable land: landholding farmers, registered bargadars, patta holders and registered sharecroppers with land RoRs.
- When it is paid: in two equal instalments through DBT, one in the Kharif season (June–September) and one in the Rabi season (December–March), subject to verification and approval.
- Farm family: husband, wife and minor children. Only one member of a farm family can receive the assistance.
- Cut-off: land ownership as on 01.07.2026, with no change counted for the next 5 years. Land inherited after the owner’s death passes the benefit to the successors if they are otherwise eligible. A person who receives land by sale, partition or gift deed is not eligible, as they were not the owner on 01.07.2026.
Component-2: State top-up to PM-KISAN
Beneficiaries of the centrally sponsored PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi get an additional ₹3,000 a year from the State, in three equal instalments of ₹1,000 every four months. The notification says West Bengal beneficiaries will get ₹9,000 a year from both schemes: ₹6,000 from the Centre and ₹3,000 from the State. Eligibility, exclusions and enrolment for this component follow the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi guidelines and any changes to them.
How to enrol
- Existing Krishak Bandhu (Natun) beneficiaries are considered for automatic enrolment once their eligibility and bank details are validated under Agriculture Department Order No. 617-AG/O/9M(NAB)-35/2026 dated 03.07.2026. They need not apply again.
- Farmers who are neither in Krishak Bandhu (Natun) nor PM-KISAN beneficiaries apply in the prescribed format at the office of the Assistant Director of Agriculture (ADA) of their Block.
- The Block Agriculture Office scrutinises the application and documents and verifies them on the designated ICT system.
- Eligible applications go electronically to the District authority, followed by final scrutiny at State level (State Nodal Officer).
- Enrolment is complete once the Aadhaar-linked bank account is validated and a Unique Beneficiary Identification Number (UBIN) is generated.
Documents needed: a valid RoR in the applicant’s name (or proof of recorded sharecropping/bargadar/Bhagchasi/patta rights, showing ownership through a duly mutated RoR), a valid Voter ID (EPIC), Aadhaar details, the first page of the bank passbook, an Aadhaar-linked, DBT-enabled account at a branch in West Bengal (no two beneficiaries on one account), a mobile number linked to that account, and other declarations prescribed in the scheme guidelines.
What this means for employees
Under paragraph 5 (exclusion criteria), constitutional/government employees (excluding Group D/MTS/Class IV) and pensioners are excluded. The exclusion applies to the farm family: a family in which one or more members belong to these categories is out. In practice:
- A family with a Group A, B or C State or Central government employee, or a pensioner, will not receive MKSN assistance.
- Families of Group D/MTS/Class IV employees do not fall under this exclusion and may be eligible if they meet the other conditions.
- Check your family before applying: an application with wrong information can be rejected at verification.
Example: a family owns 50 decimals and has no government employee or pensioner and is not in PM-KISAN: Component-1 pays ₹6,000 a year (₹3,000 + ₹3,000). With 30 decimals it pays ₹4,000 (₹2,000 + ₹2,000). A PM-KISAN beneficiary gets ₹6,000 from the Centre plus ₹3,000 from the State under Component-2, ₹9,000 a year.
Others who are excluded
- Institutional landholders and PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi beneficiaries (for Component-1; they come under Component-2).
- High-income professionals registered with professional bodies and practising: doctors, engineers, lawyers, chartered accountants and architects; and taxpayers.
- NRIs and those who fail to submit valid Aadhaar information.
- Beneficiaries identified as dead, shifted, deleted and absentee electors during SIR 2026, those deleted in the 2nd list after the draft list, deleted after adjudication, or found ASDD during voter slip distribution.
The scheme will be supervised by a State-Level Steering Committee headed by the Chief Secretary, with District and Block-level committees. For the earlier report on this scheme see Mukhyamantri Krishak Samman Nidhi: ₹2,000 for farmers from 5 November at Purshura. This article follows only the 29.10.2026 notification; the notification does not say when the ₹2,000 will be paid.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Mukhyamantri Krishak Samman Nidhi pay?
Under Component-1, ₹6,000 a year for 40 decimals or more of cultivable land and ₹4,000 for less, in two equal instalments. Under Component-2, PM-KISAN beneficiaries get an extra ₹3,000 a year from the State, ₹9,000 in all.
Can government employees apply?
No family with a government or constitutional employee (excluding Group D/MTS/Class IV) or a pensioner is eligible. Families of Group D/MTS/Class IV employees are not excluded on this ground.
Do Krishak Bandhu beneficiaries have to apply again?
No. Existing Krishak Bandhu (Natun) beneficiaries are considered for automatic enrolment once eligibility and bank details are validated.
Where do I apply?
Farmers who are not in Krishak Bandhu (Natun) or PM-KISAN apply in the prescribed format at the office of the Assistant Director of Agriculture (ADA) of their Block.
What is the land-ownership cut-off date?
01.07.2026, with no changes counted for the next 5 years, except inheritance after the owner’s death.
