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Farmers receiving PM Kisan benefits decrease by 24 million, Parliament told
Payouts to cultivators under the scheme accordingly saw a reduction of 14% from ₹67,032 crore in 2021-22 to ₹57,646 crore in 2022-23, according to a written reply in the Lok Sabha on February 14.
NEW DELHI The number of farmers receiving income transfers under the flagship PM Kisan programme has dropped from 104 million at its peak in 2021-2022 to 80 million in the current financial year, a decline of nearly 23%, replies by the agriculture ministry in response to questions asked in Parliament show.
Payouts to cultivators under the scheme accordingly saw a reduction of 14% from ₹67,032 crore in 2021-22 to ₹57,646 crore in 2022-23, according to a written reply in the Lok Sabha on February 14.
Several Opposition MPs have sought data on PM Kisan, one of the largest federal direct benefit transfer programmes, inquiring to know the reasons behind a fall in the number of eligible farm households.
Since the scheme’s launch in 2019, nearly 110 million farmers have received ₹2.50 lakh crore in all, spread over 13 instalments. Almost 3 million women beneficiaries have received nearly ₹53,600 crore, the ministry has stated.
An official involved in administering the scheme, requesting anonymity, said identification of beneficiaries according to the scheme’s eligibility criteria was solely the responsibility of states. The Centre routinely reviews its implementation with states to bring “efficiency and ensure only eligible farm households are enrolled”.
Under PM-KISAN, the Centre provides income support of ₹6,000 a year to farmers with a valid enrolment, paid in three equal cash transfers of ₹2,000 – one every four months. It was launched on February 24, 2019.
“The States/UTs have been provided with the option to mark beneficiaries as eligible to ineligible and vice versa, after due verification,” the ministry said.
Assam, for instance, launched a probe in 2020 after a large number of ineligible people were found to have enrolled themselves.
“Payouts are transferred only after due verifications and validation,” the ministry said. Checks on enrolment have been made stringent by Aadhaar authentication, along with bank account validation by a public finance management system and matching of income tax records.
Under the scheme, any land-holding farm household is eligible for cash transfers, provided they don’t pay income tax, hold government posts, or are retirees who receive pensions above ₹10,000.
