Under the PM-KISAN yojana, the Centre has transferred nearly Rs 3,000 crore (Rs 29,92,75,16,000 to be exact) into the accounts of over 42 lakh ineligible farmers and it is now attempting to take back the money.
According to a written reply by Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar in the Lok Sabha to a question related to cash disbursal under the scheme, the money was placed in the accounts of 42,16,643 ineligible persons, with the biggest numbers in Assam, Tamil Nadu, and Punjab.
Each year, the Centre sends Rs 6,000 to farmers across the country in three equal installments under the PM-KISAN scheme.
The scheme contains eligibility requirements, such as the farmer not being a taxpayer. According to Tomar, 42.16 lakh ineligible farmers who received money under the scheme must repay Rs 2,992 crore.
State-wise ineligible beneficiaries of PM Kisan
Assam (8,35,268) has the most ineligible farmers, followed by Tamil Nadu (7,22,271), Punjab (5,62,256), Maharashtra (4,45,497), Uttar Pradesh (2,65,321), and Gujarat (2,65,321).
In Assam, Rs 554 crore is expected to be recovered, followed by Rs 437 crore in Punjab, Rs 358 crore in Maharashtra, Rs 340 crore in Tamil Nadu, Rs 258 crore in Uttar Pradesh, and Rs 220 crore in Gujarat.
In Haryana, Rs 41 crore is expected to be collected from 41,445 ineligible people, Rs 16.4 crore from 15,503 people in Himachal Pradesh, and Rs 3,28,000 from 30 people in Chandigarh.
The smallest number of ineligible beneficiaries among the main states is in West Bengal, where Rs 76,000 must be recovered from 19 people.
“The scheme's structure inherently includes a mechanism for preventing errors based on ongoing verification and validation of beneficiaries' data by multiple authorities like as Aadhaar, PFMS, or the Income Tax database.
“That being said, during the authentication process, it was discovered that the Scheme benefit was transferred to some ineligible recipients, including some income tax payee farmers,” Tomar informed the House.
According to him, the government is taking steps to guarantee that the scheme is effectively executed and that genuine farmers benefit. For recovering money from ineligible beneficiaries and identifying Income Tax Payees to States, Standard Operation Guidelines have been developed.
States have been advised to take precautions during the registration and verification of farmers. He also mentioned that SOPs for physical verification of beneficiaries have been distributed.
