Govt Recovers ₹416 Crore From Ineligible Farmers, PM-KISAN Benefits Only For The Rightful

New Delhi: The government has recovered Rs 416 crore from people who wrongly received PM-KISAN benefits. This was revealed in a statement by the Press Information Bureau (PIB).

Those who had to return the money include income tax payees, employees of Public Sector Units (PSUs), government staff, and people holding constitutional posts. These individuals do not qualify for the scheme.

What is PM-KISAN?

PM-KISAN was launched in February 2019 to help farmers. Under this scheme, eligible farmers receive Rs 6,000 per year in three instalments. The money is transferred directly into their bank accounts through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system.

Since the launch, the government has paid Rs 3.68 lakh crore to farmers across 19 instalments.

Steps to Ensure Only Eligible Farmers Get Benefits

To prevent misuse, the government has made certain steps mandatory. These include:

Land Seeding: Farmers must link their land records with the scheme.

Aadhaar-Based Payments: The money is transferred only to accounts linked with Aadhaar.

eKYC (Electronic Know Your Customer): Farmers must complete eKYC to continue receiving benefits.

Farmers who fail to complete these steps will not receive payments. However, once they fulfill the requirements, they will get the pending amount.

Technology for Transparency

The government has introduced new technology to improve efficiency and stop fraud. Some key initiatives include:

PM-KISAN Portal & Mobile App: Farmers can register, track payments, and complete eKYC.

Facial Authentication eKYC: Launched in June 2023, this feature helps farmers in remote areas verify their identity through face scans.

Common Service Centres (CSCs): More than 5 lakh CSCs help farmers with registration and verification.

AI Chatbot ‘Kisan-eMitra’: Introduced in September 2023, this chatbot answers farmers' queries in local languages about payments, registration, and eligibility.

More Farmers Being Added

The government is working with State Governments to ensure all eligible farmers get benefits. A nationwide enrolment drive started on November 15, 2023.

Since then, over 1.5 crore new farmers have joined the scheme.

How PM-KISAN Helps Farmers

A 2019 study by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) showed that PM-KISAN is boosting rural economic growth. The scheme has helped farmers get easier access to credit and invest more in farming.

With financial support from PM-KISAN, farmers are taking more risks and making productive investments in their fields.