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Only 18% UP farmers benefitted on PM-KISAN inaugural day
Despite the launch of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme from Uttar Pradesh, less than 20 per cent of the state’s farmers actually benefitted in the inaugural round on Sunday.
Despite the launch of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme from Uttar Pradesh, less than 20 per cent of the state’s farmers actually benefitted in the inaugural round on Sunday.
A big chunk of the remaining beneficiaries will have to wait for some time to get cash in their bank accounts.
As soon as Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the scheme from Gorakhpur, the first instalment of ₹2,000 for the period December 2018-March 2019 was transferred to the saving bank accounts of over 1 crore small and marginal farmers of the country.
Principal secretary, agriculture, Amit Mohan said: “Of over 1 crore farmers who were benefitted on the inaugural day, around 40 lakh were from UP alone.”
However, the figure of 40 lakh is merely a little more than 18% of the total 2.17 crore small and marginal farmers in UP.
“This means that 1.77 crore eligible farmers of UP are yet to get their first instalment,” an agriculture department official, who did not wish to be named, said.
According to officials, the government is planning to transfer ₹2,000 to bank accounts of all the eligible farmers in March before the model code of conduct comes into force with the announcement of Lok Sabha elections.
The principal secretary (agriculture) said cash would be transferred to the accounts of beneficiaries as and when the data received from districts was verified, fed and locked. “This is an ongoing scheme and the beneficiaries who were not covered under the scheme today will get money transferred to his account in days to come,” he added.
According to officials familiar with the developments, the state government had forwarded the verified data of around one crore farmers to the Centre which filtered the number to only around 40 lakh.
“We had sent the data of 1 crore farmers to the Centre by Friday but they might have filtered it further or used the data sent a few days back,” another official said.
Teams of lekhpals and village development officers are said to have been pressed into the task of making door-to-door collection of details of beneficiaries with regard to their bank account, Aadhar number etc.
Officials said many of the claims would be rejected if discrepancies were found in details provided by farmers and the data would not be changed for the next five years once it was finalised.
