Government Recovers Rs 416 crore from Ineligible PM-KISAN Beneficiaries

Since 2019, the government has retrieved Rs 416 crore from ineligible PM-KISAN beneficiaries. The scheme provides Rs 6,000 annually to farmers via Direct Benefit Transfer. Several technological measures were introduced to ensure only eligible farmers receive the benefits, with Aadhaar authentication becoming mandatory.

The government has successfully recovered Rs 416 crore from ineligible farmers who had availed benefits under the PM-KISAN scheme since its inception in 2019, revealed Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

Chouhan elaborated that the scheme, which began as a trust-based system, has disbursed over Rs 3.68 lakh crore in 19 installments to date. Initially, the scheme relied on a self-certification process, with certain states receiving interim Aadhaar seeding relaxations.

However, to ensure only eligible beneficiaries, several technology-based measures were implemented, including integration with PFMS, UIDAI, and the Income Tax Department. The scheme mandates Aadhaar-based payment and eKYC, effectively halting benefits for non-compliance. Recovery of undue transfers is ongoing.

(With inputs from agencies.)