Bhubaneswar: Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday said many farmers in Odisha are unable to get financial assistance under the PM-KISAN scheme due to non-compliance of procedural requirements and sought the personal intervention of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in this regard.
“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 wrote in a letter addressed to the Odisha CM.
He said non-disbursement of due benefits under PM-KISAN to many of the needy farmers of Odisha, especially in the backdrop of hardships caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, is disheartening.
Under the PM-KISAN scheme, the Central Government provides an income support of Rs 6,000 per year in three equal instalments.
Referring to official records, Pradhan said a total of 40.5 lakh farmers are covered in Odisha under PM-KISAN Yojana of which only 24.7 lakh farmers received the payment of Rs 2000 each in the seventh instalment.
The Union Minister said the declining trend of fund release was also noticed in previous six instalments. “The data shows that out of the total 40.5 lakh registered beneficiaries in the State, only 9.73 lakh (24%) received the 1st instalment, 29.92 lakh (74%) received the 2nd instalment, 28.77 lakh (71%) received the 3rd instalment, 25.61 lakh (63%) received the 4th instalment, only 21.55 lakh (53%) received the 5th instalment, 23.38 lakh (58%) received the 6th instalment and 24.70 lakh (61%) received the 7th instalment.
“Keeping in mind the welfare of Odisha's farmers, I seek your personal intervention for ensuring expeditious compliance to requisite procedural formalities as per PM-KISAN scheme guidelines. This will help ensure that the due financial benefits envisaged under the scheme are able to reach to the bank accounts of all 40.5 lakh farmers covered under PM Kisan,” Pradhan said.
(Edited By Pradeep Singh)