Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has sought Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's intervention for 'ensuring expeditious compliance to requisite procedural formalities as per PM-KISAN scheme guidelines' so as to include more farmers from the State under the Central scheme.
In a letter, Pradhan said that while the number of farmers getting financial aid from the Central Government under the PM-KISAN scheme is less than the ones registered and covered under a similar scheme of the State Government, the total number of farmers registered under the Central scheme was not covered in the seven installments so far released under PM-KISAN. "I would like to bring to your notice the fact that the percentage of farmers receiving the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana(PM-KISAN) benefit is significantly less than the number of farmers registered under the scheme in Odisha.
This is primarily due to non-compliance to procedural requirements and administrative oversight by the officials of the State Government," Pradhan said. "Correctness of beneficiary details is to be ensured by the State Governments," said Pradhan. He further said the Prime Minister released a net sum of Rs 19,000 crore as the 7th instalment of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana to 9.5 crore registered farmers nationwide. As per official records, a total of 40.5 lakh farmers are covered in Odisha, under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana.
However, it was found that only 24.7 lakh farmers received the payment of Rs 2,000 each from the release of the 7th instalment. "This is not the first time that this is happening.
The same trend of lower fund releases can be noticed in previous six instalments also. I am sharing the details for your ready reference.
The data show that out of the total 40.5 registered beneficiaries of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana in the State, only 9.73 lakhs (24%) received the 1sl instalment, only 29.92 lakh (74%) received the 2nd instalment, only 28.77 lakh (71%) received the 3rd instalment, only 25.61 lakh (63%) received the 4th instalment, only 21.55 lakh (53%) received the 5 th instalment, only 23.38 lakh (58%) received the 6th instalment and only 24.70 lakhs (61%) received the 7th instalment," said Pradhan, adding that non-inclusion of a large chunk of farmers from Odisha at a time when pandemic has hit them the worst and they badly need money, is painful.