Tamil Nadu: Crores siphoned off ‘PM Kisan Scheme’

CHENNAI/SALEM/TRICHY: A massive fraud, running into several crores of rupees, has been unearthed in the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, popularly known as PM Kisan Scheme, in Tamil Nadu. Investigation carried out by the CB-CID so far in Cuddalore, Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram, Salem and Kallakurichi districts have led to 16 arrests. Inquiries reveal that more than 40,000 ineligible people had availed the benefits of the scheme – Rs 6,000 per year financial assistance to every small and marginal farmer family holding land measuring two hectares or less – in Tamil Nadu by falsification of documents.
Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami told reporters in Tiruvallur on Monday that a detailed probe was being conducted into the alleged fraud.

The fraud surfaced first when Cuddalore collector Chandra Sekar Sakhamurai flagged existence of nonfarmers on the list of beneficiaries in Pillaiyarmedu village, about a year ago, and ordered an inquiry. Directorate of agriculture ordered a parallel inquiry around the same time. As several joint directors of agriculture reported instances of fraud in their jurisdiction, the government transferred the probe to CB CID. Arrests have so far taken place in Cuddalore, Kallakurichi, Salem and Tiruvannamalai districts, said an official. “Many got the assistance by submitting fake addresses and fake documents,” said vice president of BJP farmers’ wing Raja Surendar Reddy. About Rs 10 crore lying in the accounts of ineligible beneficiaries has been frozen by CB CID and Rs 1.5 crore has been reversed to the government account, said an official.
Among those arrested are two people from Tharamangalam in Salem district. They had helped many non-farmers apply for the scheme from their computer centre, said the official. About 14,000 ineligible people had availed the benefits of the scheme in Salem district alone. About 5,000 of them belong to other districts, he said. So far, 51 people have been booked, he said. K Raja, a temporary employee at the agricultural office in Pethanaickenpalayam union in Salem district, was placed under suspension on Monday for his alleged involvement in the fraud. The agriculture department also transferred joint director Elangovan from Salem to Trichy. Perambalur JD Ganesan was transferred to Salem.
Tamil Nadu, in all, had 28 lakh beneficiaries under the scheme when the sixth instalment of Rs 2,000 per family was disbursed in the first week of August. The assistance is disbursed in three equal instalments of Rs 2,000. The scheme is funded 100% by the Central government and was launched on December 31, 2018, in the run up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Senior BJP leaders demanded a judicial inquiry into the scam. BJP state general secretary Karu Nagarajan, along with a few party office bearers, submitted a petition to chief secretary K Shanmugam demanding that ineligible beneficiaries be immediately weeded out from the list. The scam has spread to 14 districts, they said. BJP IT wing state president C T R Nirmal Kumar charged that such a fraud could not have taken place without the involvement of top-level politicians.
DMK leader M K Stalin said it was alarming that there were more than 10,000 fake claimants in chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami’s native district, Salem. Both the Centre and state governments were hand-in-glove in the fraud, he charged and demanded CBI inquiry into it. Meanwhile, agriculture minister R Doraikannu said in Thanjavur that stern action would be taken against all those involved in the fraud. He said the money credited to the accounts of fake beneficiaries would be recovered.