Rs 1,364 crore paid to over 20 lakh undeserving beneficiaries under PM-KISAN: RTI data

The Government has compensated Rs one,364 crore to twenty.forty eight lakh undeserving beneficiaries beneath its formidable PM-KISAN scheme, a reply to a Right to Information and facts (RTI) query by the Union Agriculture Ministry reveals.

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sammann Nidhi (PM-KISAN) was released by the Centre in 2019 and beneath the scheme, an earnings assist of Rs 6,000 for every year in three equivalent installments is compensated to small and marginal farmer families owning mixed land holding or ownership of up to 2 hectares.

The Union Agriculture Ministry, in reaction to the RTI application, determined two categories of undeserving beneficiaries who gained PM-KISAN payouts as “ineligible farmers” and “earnings tax payee farmers”.

RTI applicant Venkatesh Nayak of Commonwealth Human Legal rights Initiative (CHRI) who gained the details from the authorities stated, “A lot more than 50 % (55.58 for every cent) of these undeserving persons belong to the ‘income tax payee category’.” “The remaining forty four.41 for every cent belong to the ‘ineligible farmers’ category’,” he additional.

Nayak stated, in accordance to media reviews, proceedings have been initiated to recover these funds transferred to undeserving persons.

He stated details attained beneath RTI Act, 2005, indicated that since the graduation of the PM-KISAN Yojana in 2019, Rs one,364.13 crore ($186.59 million) has been compensated to ‘ineligible persons’ and ‘income tax payee farmers’ until July 31, 2020.

“Government’s have details signifies revenue went into the improper palms,” he additional.

A significant chunk of these ineligible beneficiaries belongs to 5 states — Punjab, Assam, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, as for every the details.

“Punjab tops the record accounting for 23.16 for every cent (4.74 lakh) of the overall quantity of undeserving persons throughout the country who gained payouts, adopted by Assam with 16.87 for every cent (three.forty five lakh beneficiaries) and Maharashtra with 13.ninety nine for every cent (2.86 lakh beneficiaries). These three states account for a lot more than 50 % (54.03 for every cent) of the quantity of undeserving persons who gained payouts,” Nayak stated Gujarat is at the fourth situation with 8.05 for every cent (one.sixty four lakh beneficiaries), adopted by Uttar Pradesh at fifth situation with 8.01 for every cent (one.sixty four lakh beneficiaries), he stated.

Sikkim with just a person undeserving beneficiary documented the least expensive figure, Nayak stated.

“The overall volume of Rs one,364.13 crore was compensated to recipients throughout the states in sixty eight.twenty lakh installments (in which each individual installment of Rs 2,000 compensated out for every recipient is counted individually). Out of this, 49.25 lakh installments have been compensated to ‘IT payee farmers’ though eighteen.95 lakh installments have been compensated to ‘ineligible farmers’ throughout the country,” he stated quoting the RTI details.

Under the scheme, an volume of Rs 6,000 for every year is transferred in three installments of Rs 2,000 each four months instantly into the bank accounts of the farmers, subject to particular exclusion criteria relating to increased earnings status, a PIB statement experienced stated.

The scheme was formally released on February 24, 2019, by Primary Minister Narendra Modi at a grand functionality in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.

Various categories of farmers are excluded from the scheme like institutional landholders farmer families in which a person or a lot more users is between beneficiaries — former and current holders of constitutional posts former and current ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs, mayors and chairmen of district panchayat serving and retired authorities personnel pensioners acquiring over Rs ten,000 every month pension earnings tax payees and specialists this sort of as doctors, engineers, chartered accountants and architects and so on.