Image Source: INDIA TODAY

Rs 110 crore scam in PM Kisan scheme unearthed, officials added unaware farmers to siphon funds

Tamil Nadu, 9-Sep-2020

The Tamil Nadu government has made a shocking discovery and found that the PM Kisan scheme which is meant to benefit the poor has been used for a major scam in which over Rs 110 crore was fraudulently withdrawn and that too with the help of government officials and some local politicians. Gagandeep Singh Bedi, Principal Secretary to the state of Tamil Nadu, while addressing the media said that a dramatically high number of people were added to the scheme in August. An investigation found that officials in the agricultural department had made use of the online application approval system and added many beneficiaries illegally. The modus operand involved government officials providing login ID and password to brokers who added new beneficiaries and got Rs 2,000 per addition. Principal Secretary Bedi also said that 80 odd officials associated with agricultural schemes have been dismissed and 34 others have been suspended. Eighteen people identified as broker or agents have been arrested. The government has retrieved Rs 32 crore from the siphoned Rs 110 crore. The government has now said the rest of the money will be retrieved in the next 40 days. The scam was detected after a sudden surge in the number of additions to the PM Kisan scheme and also because of the proximity of the districts from which the numbers increased. It was found that
Kallakurichi, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Ranipet, Salem, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri and Chengalpet districts were the ones were the scam was going on. Most of the new beneficiaries were unaware of being added to the scheme. In the last week of August, corruption in distribution of funds under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan scheme led to the suspension of two senior officials in Kalakurichi. The discrepancy in distribution of funds to farmers came to light after a complaint was raised on non-farmers being given funds from the scheme. Two senior officials, Amudha and Rajeskaran, and 15 other team members were suspended.
In the inquiry, it was found that the Rs 6,000 yearly fund for farmers was given away to other people after taking a commission/cut by the officials.