At 5.62 lakh, Punjab has the third highest number of ineligible beneficiaries under PM-Kisan scheme. – File photo

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 20

The Centre has transferred nearly Rs 3,000 into the accounts of over 42.16 lakh ineligible farmers under the PM-Kisan scheme and it was now in the process of recovering the amount.

The maximum ineligible beneficiaries who received the money were in Assam, Tamil Nadu and Punjab, according to a written reply by Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar in the Lok Sabha to a question related to disbursal of funds under the scheme. Under PM-Kisan, the Centre transfers Rs 6,000 each year to farmers across the country in three equal instalments. The scheme has eligibility criteria, like the farmer should not be an income tax payee.

Tomar said Rs 2,992 crore was to be recovered from 42.16 lakh ineligible farmers who had got money under the scheme. The maximum ineligible farmers who got the benefit were in Assam (8,35,268), followed by Tamil Nadu (7,22,271), Punjab (5,62,256), Maharashtra (4,45,497), UP (2,65,321) and Gujarat (2,36,543). The money to be recovered is around Rs 554 crore in Assam, Rs 437 crore in Punjab, Rs 358 crore in Maharashtra, Rs 340 crore in Tamil Nadu, Rs 258 crore in UP and Rs 220 crore in Gujarat.

Incidentally, around Rs 41 crore is to be recovered from 41,445 ineligible persons in Haryana, Rs 16.4 crore from 15,503 persons in HP and Rs 3,28,000 from 30 persons in Chandigarh. Among the large states, the smallest number of ineligible beneficiaries was in West Bengal where Rs 76,000 is to be recovered from 19 persons.

Maximum ‘beneficiaries’ in Assam

• The maximum ineligible farmers who got the benefit were in Assam (8,35,268), followed by Tamil Nadu (7,22,271), Punjab (5,62,256), Maharashtra (4,45,497), UP (2,65,321) and Gujarat (2,36,543)
• The money to be recovered is around Rs554 crore in Assam, Rs437 crore in Punjab, Rs358 crore in Maharashtra, Rs340 crore in Tamil Nadu, Rs258 crore in UP and Rs220 crore in Gujarat.