PM Kisan Yojana Scam Unearthed: Ineligible Beneficiaries, Officials, and Leaders Receive Rs 35 Crore
A significant irregularity has come to light within the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme in Chhattisgarh’s Dhamtari district. Shockingly, the benefits of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, meant for eligible farmers, have been erroneously extended to public representatives, government officials, and employees. The magnitude of this oversight is staggering, with an excess of Rs 35 crore being erroneously allocated to more than 22,000 ineligible individuals.
Under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi initiative, eligible farmers across the nation receive an annual sum of Rs 6,000, distributed in three installments of Rs 2,000 each. While the scheme strives to uplift genuine farmers, this misallocation has cast a shadow on its efficacy.
Dhamtari district’s administration is now grappling with rectifying this situation. The Central Government, recognizing the gravity of the situation, has mandated the recovery of these erroneously distributed funds from ineligible recipients. However, this recovery process has met with resistance from the recipients, and many of them are yet to return the funds despite official notices.
It’s notable that a substantial portion of these ineligible beneficiaries – a staggering 1960 individuals – include those who file income tax returns. Among them are public representatives, government officials, and employees. The recovery process, although initiated, has met with partial success, with only 216 beneficiaries having returned the misallocated funds thus far.
This scandal reveals a significant flaw in the scheme’s implementation, whereby ineligible individuals, including professionals like doctors, engineers, CAs, architects, lawyers, and constitutional post holders, have benefitted. Additionally, retired individuals receiving monthly pensions exceeding Rs 10,000 are also ineligible for the scheme. These discrepancies point to a need for stringent oversight and systemic checks to ensure the scheme reaches the deserving farmers it aims to support.
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