The untold story of India’s Rs 3,000-crore farmer scheme scam Sadiq Naqvi & Snigdha Poonam May 11, 2022 https://scroll.in/article/1023605/the-untold-story-of-indias-rs-3000-crore-farmer-scheme-scam
Assam saw the highest amount being siphoned off under Modi government’s PM-Kisan scheme. Our investigation from the state reveals how the scam worked. a barrage of irregularities had already come to light in PM-Kisan, involving scores of unauthorised usernames and thousands of unintended beneficiaries. In May 2020, the state government had ordered a probe into the matter, which was carried out by then additional chief secretary Jishnu Barua. Among the report’s many damning findings that have not been reported so far was that, of the 31 lakh individuals who had received the cash transfer, 15 lakh were not eligible for it.
Since July, the Centre has been urging the states to bring back the Rs 3,000 crore from the fake beneficiaries even as millions of deserving farmers remain excluded from the scheme. According to the Union agriculture minister’s statement in Parliament, Assam must recover the highest amount, of Rs 500 crore paid to 8.3 lakh ineligible beneficiaries. It is followed by Punjab (Rs 357.9 crore), Maharashtra (Rs 340.6 crore) and Tamil Nadu (Rs 258.6 crore).