Krishak Bandhu (Natun) Scheme
Up to ₹10,000 a year for every farmer and sharecropper in West Bengal, paid in two instalments — one before Kharif, one before Rabi.
Run by: Department of Agriculture, Government of West Bengal
- Maximum benefit
- ₹10,000 / year
- Minimum benefit
- ₹4,000 / year
- Instalments
- 2 — Kharif & Rabi
- Death grant
- ₹2 lakh, one time
Overview
Krishak Bandhu is West Bengal’s own income-support scheme, and it is paid on top of PM-KISAN rather than instead of it. A farmer with one acre or more of cultivable land gets ₹10,000 a year; below one acre the amount is pro-rated, but never falls below ₹4,000.
It is one of the few state schemes that counts registered bargadars (sharecroppers) alongside landowners — the person actually farming the plot, not only the person named on the deed. The second half of the scheme is a life-cover component: ₹2 lakh paid once to the family if a registered farmer aged 18–60 dies, whatever the cause.
What you get
The benefit as the state notifies it — nothing here is an estimate.
- ₹10,000 a year for a holding of one acre or more, paid as two equal instalments of ₹5,000.
- Pro-rated assistance for holdings under one acre, with a floor of ₹4,000 a year — the smallest farmers are not left with a token amount.
- A one-time grant of ₹2 lakh to the family if a registered farmer aged between 18 and 60 dies.
- Registered farmers get priority in the state’s paddy procurement, which is often worth more than the cash itself.
Who is eligible
State schemes usually state their criteria as prose rather than a checklist. This is that prose, unpacked — the department’s verification is what decides.
You qualify if
- Resident of West Bengal, aged 18 or above
- Owns cultivable land in West Bengal, or is a registered bargadar (recorded sharecropper)
- Land records (RoR / patta) in your own name, or a valid barga record
- Bank account linked to Aadhaar for Direct Benefit Transfer
Not covered
- Land held by institutions, trusts or companies rather than a farming family
- Holdings with no cultivable land recorded against them
Documents you need
Have these ready before you start — most rejections are a missing paper, not a missing right.
- Voter card (the primary identifier for this scheme)
- Aadhaar card
- Land record — RoR / patta, or the barga record for a sharecropper
- Bank passbook, seeded with Aadhaar
- Mobile number for status SMS
How to apply
Fewer steps than a central scheme, and usually one office rather than a portal.
- 1
Register at a Krishak Bandhu camp or a BSK
Registration happens at departmental camps and at any Bangla Sahayata Kendra. There is no fee at either.
- 2
Get the land record verified
The Assistant Director of Agriculture verifies your holding against the RoR — this step decides whether you get the ₹10,000 band or the pro-rated one.
- 3
Track the ID and the payment
Once approved you get a Krishak Bandhu ID. Both instalments are then tracked on the portal using your voter card number.
Frequently asked questions
Does Krishak Bandhu stop my PM-KISAN payment?
No. They are separate schemes from separate governments and are paid separately. Most eligible farming families in West Bengal draw both.
I farm land I do not own. Do I qualify?
Yes, if you are a registered bargadar — the sharecropping has to be recorded in the land records. An informal verbal arrangement is not enough to register.
Why did I get ₹2,000 instead of ₹5,000?
That is the pro-rated instalment for a holding of less than one acre. The annual floor is ₹4,000, paid as two instalments of ₹2,000.
Facts checked against krishakbandhu.wb.gov.in on 24 July 2026. editorial policy.