Farmers want current instalment of PMKSNY, CBI probe into scam
TIRUCHY: Farmers from the central districts of the state have urged the Centre to release the instalment under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana (PMKSNY) scheme for the current quarter soon.
Further, they also demanded the Centre to order for a CBI probe against the irregularities committed in the scheme even as the officials claimed that they were in the process of rectifying the errors recorded during the earlier assessment.
The PMKSNY scheme, a welfare programme for farmers, was launched last year. Over 10 crore farmers across the nation were identified as the beneficiaries of the programme under which each would be disbursed Rs 6,000 in three instalments every year.
As part of first instalment, a fund of Rs 20,000 crore was credited to 10.70 crore farmers by December 25, 2020, and the Union government had promised to include a few lakhs more farmers before March 31, this year and the amount would be credited by April 25 and an announcement was also made in the Union Budget 2021. But, no one had received the fund so far, said Swamimalai Sundara Vimalnathan, Secretary of Cauvery Farmers Protection Association.
He claimed that a series of irregularities took place in the scheme and the CBCID which probed the scam found out that irregularities to the tune of Rs 321 crore had been committed in Tamil Nadu. Of this total amount, just Rs 162 crore has been recovered so far. “While officials from agriculture and revenue departments are to be blamed for the irregularities, no one has been arrested so far in connection with the scam. No disciplinary action has been taken against any official. So, the Centre should order for a CBI probe,” he added.
He opined that due to the irregularities, the Centre must have withheld the fund. So, the farmers needed a valid explanation from the officials concerned. A representation has been sent to the Prime Minister demanding action, Vimalanathan informed.
Meanwhile, officials from the agriculture department said that they were in the process of rectifying the issues on the previous entries. “We have been concentrating on rectifying the double entries and it will be completed in a few days. A fresh list will be submitted soon,” an official on condition of anonymity said.