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

The Federal government has compensated Rs one,364 crore to 20.48 lakh undeserving beneficiaries underneath its bold PM-KISAN scheme, a reply to a Suitable to Information and facts (RTI) query by the Union Agriculture Ministry reveals.

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sammann Nidhi (PM-KISAN) was launched by the Centre in 2019 and underneath the scheme, an profits assist of Rs six,000 per year in three equal installments is compensated to smaller and marginal farmer households possessing blended land holding or possession of up to 2 hectares.

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

RTI applicant Venkatesh Nayak of Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) who acquired the data from the authorities stated, “Extra than 50 percent (55.fifty eight per cent) of these undeserving persons belong to the ‘income tax payee category’.” “The remaining forty four.41 per cent belong to the ‘ineligible farmers’ category’,” he included.

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

He stated data acquired underneath RTI Act, 2005, indicated that given that the commencement of the PM-KISAN Yojana in 2019, Rs one,364.13 crore ($186.fifty nine million) has been compensated to ‘ineligible persons’ and ‘income tax payee farmers’ until July 31, 2020.

“Government’s individual data suggests income went into the incorrect arms,” he included.

A important chunk of these ineligible beneficiaries belongs to 5 states — Punjab, Assam, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, as per the data.

“Punjab tops the listing accounting for 23.16 per cent (4.seventy four lakh) of the full quantity of undeserving persons throughout the country who acquired payouts, followed by Assam with 16.87 per cent (three.45 lakh beneficiaries) and Maharashtra with 13.99 per cent (2.86 lakh beneficiaries). These three states account for additional than 50 percent (54.03 per cent) of the quantity of undeserving persons who acquired payouts,” Nayak stated Gujarat is at the fourth placement with 8.05 per cent (one.sixty four lakh beneficiaries), followed by Uttar Pradesh at fifth placement with 8.01 per cent (one.sixty four lakh beneficiaries), he stated.

Sikkim with just just one undeserving beneficiary described the least expensive figure, Nayak stated.

“The full sum of Rs one,364.13 crore was compensated to recipients throughout the states in 68.20 lakh installments (exactly where each installment of Rs 2,000 compensated out per receiver is counted independently). Out of this, 49.twenty five lakh installments ended up compensated to ‘IT payee farmers’ although 18.95 lakh installments ended up compensated to ‘ineligible farmers’ throughout the country,” he stated quoting the RTI data.

Less than the scheme, an sum of Rs six,000 per year is transferred in three installments of Rs 2,000 just about every four months straight into the bank accounts of the farmers, topic to selected exclusion standards relating to bigger profits standing, a PIB statement experienced stated.

The scheme was formally launched on February 24, 2019, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a grand operate in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.

Many categories of farmers are excluded from the scheme like institutional landholders farmer households in which just one or additional members is among the beneficiaries — former and existing holders of constitutional posts former and existing ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs, mayors and chairmen of district panchayat serving and retired authorities workers pensioners obtaining over Rs 10,000 regular monthly pension profits tax payees and pros this kind of as health professionals, engineers, chartered accountants and architects and so on.