AGRA: Money provided under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi has been transferred to the accounts of more than 9,000 dead farmers in UP’s Firozabad district.
The glaring lapse was detected when the state government ordered the agriculture department for re-verification of the beneficiaries. The e-KYC (electronic know your customer) process showed that money was transferred into accounts of at least 9,284 farmers who were no more. Recovery notices are being issued now, and a probe is being conducted, said an official on Friday.
Under the PM Kisan scheme, financial benefits of Rs 6,000 per year were announced for small and marginal farmers having total cultivable holding of up to two hectares.
Revenue teams compiling details of dead farmers
The amount is provided in three equal installments of Rs 2,000 each during the financial year.
Firozabad district agriculture officer Harnath Singh said, "Around 2,60,000 farmers registered under the PM Kisan scheme were credited with Rs 2,000 in their bank accounts. During the e-KYC process, it surfaced that 9,284 dead farmers also benefited. The number may further increase as the e-KYC process of around 96,000 farmers, registered under the scheme, is yet to be completed." He added: "The matter is being investigated. Revenue department teams are compiling details of dead farmers registered under the scheme. Their names will be removed from the rolls. Recovery of amounts credited into the accounts of dead farmers will be initiated."
The information available on the PM Kisan portal reads: "eKYC is mandatory for PMKISAN registered farmers. OTP based eKYC is available on PMKISAN portal or nearest CSC centres may be contacted for biometric based eKYC. Deadline of eKYC for all the PMKISAN beneficiaries has been extended till 31st July 2022 (sic)."
Two years ago, 15,000 "ghost beneficiaries" of the PM Kisan scheme had surfaced in Firozabad district. Since then, hundreds of cases involving ineligible and dead people being benefited under the central government scheme surfaced across UP regions.
