Guwahati, 4th September: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has identified significant lapses in the execution of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme in Assam. A performance audit by the CAG revealed that 35% of applicants in the state were ineligible for the scheme, yet only 0.24% of the funds disbursed to these ineligible beneficiaries had been recovered by October 2021.
The PM-KISAN scheme, designed to provide financial assistance to small and marginal farmers, was marred by inefficiencies and lack of oversight in Assam. The audit, which covered the period from December 2018 to March 2021, found that out of 41,87,023 applications, 10,66,593 (25%) were rejected by the PM-KISAN portal and the Public Financial Management System (PFMS).
A state government inquiry conducted between May and July 2020 further identified 11,72,685 (37%) out of 31,20,430 beneficiaries as ineligible. Despite these findings, the recovery of funds from ineligible beneficiaries was minimal, raising concerns about the scheme’s administration.
The CAG’s report, presented in the Assam state assembly, highlighted that during a verification process in 2020, 15,59,286 ineligible names were found, including non-farmers, government employees, pensioners, and duplicate entries. Alarmingly, 11,31,152 (72.54%) of these ineligible beneficiaries were untraceable.
The audit, which examined records from 10 districts, uncovered widespread issues, including fake registration numbers created by adding zeros to bank account numbers, leading to multiple benefits being credited to the same account. In 16 out of 33 districts, 3,577 such registrations received Rs 3.01 crore. Additionally, 3,104 beneficiaries in 10 districts were found to have multiple registrations using the same bank account, though no benefits were disbursed to them.
The report also noted that out of Rs 2.18 crore allocated for administrative expenses, only Rs 77 lakh worth of utilization certificates were submitted to the Government of India by October 2021.
The state government has acknowledged the audit findings and, as of February 2022, claimed that 100% re-verification had been conducted since June 2021 under the supervision of revenue officials, deputy commissioners, and the Principal Secretary of the Sixth Schedule areas. The CAG’s report serves as a critical reminder of the need for stringent monitoring and adherence to guidelines to ensure the effective implementation of welfare schemes like PM-KISAN.