Krishak Bandhu (Natun) Scheme
West Bengal's farmer income support, now being re-verified: one beneficiary per family, and farmers who get PM-Kisan receive a ₹3,000 state top-up instead.
Run by: Department of Agriculture, Government of West Bengal
- Per family
- One beneficiary only
- With PM-Kisan
- Not both — ₹3,000 state top-up instead
- Re-verification ordered
- 28 Sep 2026
- Rates at 2021 relaunch
- ₹10,000 / ₹4,000 a year
Overview
Krishak Bandhu is West Bengal's own income-support scheme. It started in 2019 and was relaunched as Krishak Bandhu (Natun) on 17 June 2021, paying ₹10,000 a year for a holding of one acre or more and not less than ₹4,000 a year below that. Those were the rates at the 2021 relaunch. The scheme is being rebuilt after the change of government in May 2026, so some of the 2021 rules may no longer apply.
On 28 September 2026 the state agriculture department ordered a fresh verification of Krishak Bandhu beneficiaries (Millennium Post). It checks beneficiary details and land records, cross-checks databases, and may include field visits. Beneficiaries must give bank account details, Aadhaar information, a registered mobile number and landholding records to their Block Agriculture Officer within 10 days of the notification. The next day the deadline was reported as extended by 10 days.
Agriculture Minister Dudh Kumar Mondal said on 29 September that only one beneficiary from a family will be covered under the new Krishak Bandhu from this year, ending the earlier practice of several family members receiving it. He also said the scheme and PM-Kisan are now mutually exclusive: a farmer enrolled in PM-Kisan cannot take Krishak Bandhu, and the reverse. PM-Kisan farmers are to get ₹9,000 a year — ₹6,000 from the Centre and ₹3,000 from West Bengal. Income-tax payers and government employees are being removed.
What the reports do not give is the yearly amount under the revised Krishak Bandhu, or whether the ₹2 lakh death benefit and the bargadar (sharecropper) provisions continue unchanged. Those are not stated here because no verified source gives them. Ask your Block Agriculture Officer before relying on the 2021 figures.
What you get
The benefit as the state notifies it — nothing here is an estimate.
- Farmers who take Krishak Bandhu (Natun) get income support for the Kharif and Rabi seasons; check the current-year amount with the Block Agriculture Officer.
- Farmers who receive PM-Kisan get an extra ₹3,000 a year from the state, taking the yearly total to ₹9,000.
- The 2021 relaunch rates were ₹10,000 a year for one acre or more and not less than ₹4,000 below that, paid in two instalments.
- The earlier ₹2 lakh death benefit for a registered farmer aged 18–60: confirm at the block office whether it continues.
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 who owns cultivable land or is a registered bargadar (confirm the current bargadar rule with the block office)
- Only one member of a family is covered
- Not an income-tax payer and not a government employee
- Not taking PM-Kisan — a farmer chooses one: Krishak Bandhu or PM-Kisan with the ₹3,000 state top-up
- Bank account, Aadhaar, registered mobile and landholding records that pass verification
Not covered
- Second and further members of the same family
- Income-tax payers and government employees
- Farmers who are enrolled in PM-Kisan (they get the ₹3,000 state top-up instead)
- Fake or duplicate registrations found in verification
Documents you need
Have these ready before you start — most rejections are a missing paper, not a missing right.
- Bank account details (Aadhaar-linked)
- Aadhaar card
- Registered mobile number
- Landholding record — RoR / patta, or the barga record for a sharecropper
- Krishak Bandhu ID or voter card number, if you already have one
How to apply
Fewer steps than a central scheme, and usually one office rather than a portal.
- 1
Ask the Block Agriculture Officer what is open
The verification form was due within 10 days of the 28 September notice, then extended by 10 days. Ask the block office whether you can still submit.
- 2
Submit the prescribed form with proof
Give bank account details, Aadhaar, your registered mobile number and landholding records to the Block Agriculture Officer.
- 3
Choose one scheme
If you receive PM-Kisan, ask about the ₹3,000 state top-up; you cannot also take Krishak Bandhu. Only one member of the family can be enrolled.
- 4
Track the payment
After verification, check the status on the Krishak Bandhu portal using your ID or voter card number.
If something goes wrong
Missing from the list, or payment stuck — here is the channel the department itself publishes for it.
- For a stuck application, wrongly removed name or an instalment not credited, go to the Block Agriculture Officer and then the District Deputy Director of Agriculture. The department helpline is 8336900632 / 6291720406, or email agridept-wb@nic.in.
- Beyond the department, use West Bengal's CMO grievance portal / Public Grievance Monitoring System at cmo.wb.gov.in, which is trackable and escalates to the Head of Department. Keep your Krishak Bandhu ID and voter card number.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still get both Krishak Bandhu and PM-Kisan?
No. As of 29 September 2026 the two are mutually exclusive. A PM-Kisan farmer gets a ₹3,000 state top-up (₹9,000 in total) instead of Krishak Bandhu.
Has Krishak Bandhu been closed?
No. Millennium Post reports a revised scheme with fresh verification and one beneficiary per family. Websites claiming it has ended were not backed by an official source.
How many people from one family can get it?
Only one, from this year, according to the Agriculture Minister.
How much is the yearly amount now?
The reports we could verify do not give the revised amount. ₹10,000 (one acre or more) and ₹4,000 (below one acre) were the 2021 relaunch rates — ask the Block Agriculture Officer for the current figure.
Is the ₹2 lakh death benefit still there?
It was part of the scheme after 2021, but no verified source confirms it under the revised scheme. Ask the block agriculture office before you rely on it.
What do I have to submit and by when?
Bank details, Aadhaar, registered mobile number and landholding records to the Block Agriculture Officer. The 10-day window from the 28 September notice was extended by 10 days, so check whether it is still open.
I farm as a bargadar. Am I still covered?
Registered bargadars were covered under the 2021 scheme. The reports on the revision do not say what has changed, so confirm with your block office.
Facts checked against krishakbandhu.wb.gov.in on 20 October 2026. editorial policy.