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

What Sister Nivedita understood about India that we have forgotten

By Harasankar Adhikari In the idea of a “Vikshit Bharat,” many real problems—hunger, poverty, ill health, unemployment, and joblessness—are increasingly overshadowed by the religious contest between Hindu and Muslim fundamentalisms. This contest is often sponsored and patronised by political parties across the spectrum, whether openly Hindutva-oriented, Islamist, partisan, or self-proclaimed secular.

The rise of the civilizational state: Prof. Pratap Bhanu Mehta warns of new authoritarianism

By A Representative Noted political theorist and public intellectual Professor Pratap Bhanu Mehta delivered a poignant reflection on the changing nature of the Indian state today, warning that the rise of a "civilizational state" poses a significant threat to the foundations of modern democracy and individual freedom. Delivering the Achyut Yagnik Memorial Lecture titled "The Idea of Civilization: Poison or Cure?" at the Ahmedabad Management Association, Mehta argued that India is currently witnessing a self-conscious political project that seeks to redefine the state not as a product of a modern constitution, but as an instrument of an ancient, authentic civilization.

Why experts say replacing MGNREGA could undo two decades of rural empowerment

By A Representative A group of scientists, academics, civil society organisations and field practitioners from India and abroad has issued an open letter urging the Union government to reconsider the repeal of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and to withdraw the newly enacted Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025. The letter, dated December 27, 2025, comes days after the VB–G RAM G Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 16 and subsequently approved by both Houses of Parliament, formally replacing the two-decade-old employment guarantee law.

NYT: RSS 'infiltrates' institutions, 'drives' religious divide under Modi's leadership

By Jag Jivan A comprehensive New York Times investigation published on December 26, 2025, chronicles the rise of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) — characterized as a far-right Hindu nationalist organization — from a shadowy group founded in 1925 to the world's largest right-wing force, marking its centenary in 2025 with unprecedented influence and mainstream acceptance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi , who joined the RSS as a young boy and later became a full-time campaigner before being deputized to its political wing in the 1980s, delivered his strongest public tribute to the group in his August 2025 Independence Day address. Speaking from the Red Fort , he called the RSS a "giant river" with dozens of streams touching every aspect of Indian life, praising its "service, dedication, organization, and unmatched discipline." The report describes how the RSS has deeply infiltrated India's institutions — government, courts, police, media, and academia — ...

India’s universities lag global standards, pushing students overseas: NITI Aayog study

By Rajiv Shah A new Government of India study, Internationalisation of Higher Education in India: Prospects, Potential, and Policy Recommendations , prepared by NITI Aayog , regrets that India’s lag in this sector is the direct result of “several systemic challenges such as inadequate infrastructure to provide quality education and deliver world-class research, weak industry–academia collaboration, and outdated curricula.”

Interfaith cooperation in Punjab village as Sikhs and Hindus support mosque construction

By Bharat Dogra A recent heart-warming report on Sikh and Hindu families helping to build a mosque in a village of Punjab deserves wide attention. It is such examples that truly strengthen national unity. There are many instances of mutual respect and cooperation among people of different religions and faiths that need to be better known today.

'Caste oppression ignored': NCERT textbooks reflect ideological bias, says historian

By A Representative The Indian History Forum organized a webinar titled “Rewriting the Past: Distortions and Ideological Interventions in NCERT History Textbooks” on 22 December 2025. The session featured historian Dr Ruchika Sharma, who critically examined recent changes in NCERT history textbooks and their implications for historical understanding and social cohesion among millions of students across the country.

Investment in rule of law a corporate imperative, not charity: Business, civil society leaders

By A Representative In a compelling town hall discussion hosted at L.J School of Law , prominent voices from industry and civil society underscored that corporate investment in strengthening the rule of law is not an act of charity but a critical business strategy for building a safer, stronger, and developed India by 2047. The dialogue, part of the Unmute podcast series, examined the intrinsic link between ethical business conduct , robust legal frameworks, and sustainable national development, against the sobering backdrop of India ranking 79th out of 142 countries on the global Rule of Law Index .

When a city rebuilt forgets its builders: Migrant workers’ struggle for sanitation in Bhuj

Khasra Ground site By Aseem Mishra* Access to safe drinking water and sanitation is not a privilege—it is a fundamental human right. This principle has been unequivocally recognised by the United Nations and repeatedly affirmed by the Supreme Court of India as intrinsic to the right to life and dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution. Yet, for thousands of migrant workers living in Bhuj, this right remains elusive, exposing a troubling disconnect between constitutional guarantees, policy declarations, and lived reality.

Search This Blog