Bhubaneswar, Dec 25 (IANS): Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday said the Odisha government is yet to submit the list of eligible farmers to the Centre for availing assistance under the PM-KISAN.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi is sending assistance directly to the farmers' bank accounts, it is unfortunate that the state government has not been able to send the list of eligible farmers, said Pradhan while addressing a gathering in Jagatsinghpur district.

Notably, the Prime Minister on Friday released over Rs 18,000 crore to more than nine crore farmer families under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) yojana.

The Minister also said the state government has failed to send assistance under the Kalia scheme to the farmers.

While the Modi government is giving a huge amount of money to Odisha, it is being siphoned off, he alleged.

"In the Modi government, the hands of the farmers have been strengthened. In the last six years, farmers in Odisha have been given a total of Rs 60,000 crore through various agricultural schemes. The new agricultural laws have taken steps to increase the potential use of agriculture for our farmers and make them self-sufficient," said the Minister.

He said the fears and doubts spread over the new agricultural laws are completely baseless.

Despite being in power in the country and the state for long time, people who have neglected the peasants and lost in the democracy are conspiring against Prime Minister Modi, said Pradhan.