Govt of India paid Rs 1,400 crore to rich farmers 'violating' PM-Kisan rule: RTI reply

By Jag Jivan
On December 25, 2020 Prime Minister of India, speaking on the occasion of the birthday of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, said, the Central government had deposited Rs 18,000 crore in the bank accounts of more than 9 crore farmer households under the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana (PM-Kisan Yojana).
However, data obtained under The Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005 by Venkatesh Nayak, programme head, Access to Information Programme, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, New Delhi, indicates, since the commencement of PM-Kisan Yojana in 2019, Rs 1,364.13 crore has been paid to two category of farmers – “ineligible persons” and "income tax payees", who should not have been paid.
When launched in 2019, the PM-Kisan Yojana was to cover only small and marginal farmers owning less than two hectares of land. Later, the scheme was expanded to include all farmers irrespective of the size of their landholdings, though revised guideline excluded several categories such as institutional landholder; farmer families in which a has held a constitutional position in India, state or district panchayat; those who have served in government, ,except for Class IV employees; and pensioners receiving monthly pension of Rs 10,000 or more; income tax payees; and professionals such as doctors, engineers, chartered accountants and architects.
Nayak’s analysis suggests, a total of 20,48,634 undeserving persons across the country had received PM-Kisan payouts until July 31, 2020. More than half (55.58%) of these undeserving persons belong to the "income tax payee category." The remaining 44.41% belong to the "ineligible farmers” category.
In an email alert, he says, Punjab tops the list accounting for 23.16% (4.74 lakh) of the total number of undeserving persons who received payouts followed by Assam with 16.87% (3.45 lakh) and Maharashtra with 13.99% (2.86 lakh). These three States account for more than half (54.03%) of the number of undeserving persons who received payouts. Gujarat takes the fourth position with 8.05% (1.65 lakh).
According to Nayak, Maharashtra tops the list of states in terms of the number of "IT payee farmers" who received PM-Kisan payouts with 2.18 lakh farmers. Uttar Pradesh follows with 1.63 lakh IT payee farmers, and Gujarat takes the third position with 1.62 lakh "IT payee farmers" receiving payouts.

Pointing out that of the whopping Rs 1,364.13 crore paid out to undeserving recipients belonging to the two categories, Nayak says, of this, Rs 985.09 crore was payouts to "IT payee farmers", constituting 72.28% of the total, while the payouts to "ineligible farmers" at Rs 379.03 crore amounted to 27.78% of the total.

Maharashtra cornered maximum amount in IT payee farmers category at Rs 194.18 crore (51.23%), Gujarat followed closely with Rs 161.32 crore

He continues, with Rs 323.85 crore Punjab topped the list of States and UTs where undeserving farmers (both category of farmers) received the largest amount of payouts (23.74% of the total). Maharashtra with Rs 216.90 crore takes second position (15.90%), followed by Gujarat with Rs 162.34 crore (11.90%), UP with Rs 146.01 crore (10.70%) and Karnataka with Rs 77.44 crore (5.67%).
Together, these five states account for more than two thirds of the total payouts (Rs 926.54 crore) made to "ineligible" and “IT payee farmers", he adds.
A further analysis of the two categories shows shows that while Punjab received the biggest chunk of payouts made to "ineligible farmers" at Rs 291.35 crore (29.58%). On the other hand, while Maharashtra cornered the maximum payouts made to "IT payee farmers" at Rs 194.18 crore (51.23%), with Gujarat following closely at second place with payouts of Rs 161.32 crore.
Comments Nayak, “According to media reports, proceedings have already been launched in some districts of Maharashtra to recover payments made to undeserving recipients. Recovering more than Rs 1,300 crore from the ineligible and IT payee farmers will be a herculean task given their geographical spread. The financial adversity suffered by members of the farming community due to the nation-wide lockdown in 2020 makes this task even more daunting.”

Comments

MG-NREGA: A global model still waiting to be fully implemented

By Bharat Dogra When the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MG-NREGA) was introduced in India nearly two decades ago, it drew worldwide attention. The reason was evident. At a time when states across much of the world were retreating from responsibility for livelihoods and welfare, the world’s second most populous country—with nearly two-thirds of its people living in rural or semi-rural areas—committed itself to guaranteeing 100 days of employment a year to its rural population.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Concerns raised over move to rename MGNREGA, critics call it politically motivated

By A Representative Concerns have been raised over the Union government’s reported move to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), with critics describing it as a politically motivated step rather than an administrative reform. They argue that the proposed change undermines the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and seeks to appropriate credit for a programme whose relevance has been repeatedly demonstrated, particularly during times of crisis.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Rollback of right to work? VB–GRAM G Bill 'dilutes' statutory employment guarantee

By A Representative The Right to Food Campaign has strongly condemned the passage of the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB–GRAM G) Bill, 2025, describing it as a major rollback of workers’ rights and a fundamental dilution of the statutory Right to Work guaranteed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). In a statement, the Campaign termed the repeal of MGNREGA a “dark day for workers’ rights” and accused the government of converting a legally enforceable, demand-based employment guarantee into a centralised, discretionary welfare scheme.

From jobless to ‘job-loss’ growth: Experts critique gig economy and fintech risks

By A Representative Leading economists and social activists gathered in the capital on Friday to launch the third edition of the State of Finance in India Report 2024-25 , issuing a stark warning that the rapid digitalization of the Indian economy is eroding welfare systems and entrenching "digital dystopia."

School job scam and the future of university degree holders in West Bengal

By Harasankar Adhikari The school recruitment controversy in West Bengal has emerged as one of the most serious governance challenges in recent years, raising concerns about transparency, institutional accountability, and the broader impact on society. Allegations that school jobs were obtained through irregular means have led to prolonged legal scrutiny, involving both the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court of India. In one instance, a panel for high school teacher recruitment was ultimately cancelled after several years of service, following extended judicial proceedings and debate.

India’s Halal economy 'faces an uncertain future' under the new food Bill

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The proposed Food Safety and Standards (Amendment) Bill, 2025 marks a decisive shift in India’s food regulation landscape by seeking to place Halal certification exclusively under government control while criminalising all private Halal certification bodies. Although the Bill claims to promote “transparency” and “standardisation,” its structure and implications raise serious concerns about religious freedom, economic marginalisation, and the systematic dismantling of a long-established, Muslim-led Halal ecosystem in India.

Women’s rights alliance seeks NCW action against Nitish Kumar over public veil incident

By A Representative An alliance of women’s rights activists has urged the National Commission for Women (NCW) to initiate legal action against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over an incident at a public function in Patna that they allege amounted to a grave violation of a Muslim woman’s dignity and constitutional rights. In a detailed complaint dated December 18, the All India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA), part of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), sought the NCW’s immediate intervention following an episode on December 15 during the distribution of appointment letters to newly recruited AYUSH doctors in Patna.

Search This Blog