Data mismatch due to confusion regarding Aadhar card and bank account numbers were found to be the cause of confusion in many cases
More than half of Madhya Pradesh's farmers eligible for Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) are reportedly yet to recieve a single instalment.
The Government of India scheme mandates a minimum income of Rs 6,000 per year for all small and marginal farmers to be handed out in three equal tranches.
Media reports pegged the number of farmers eligible for scheme in MP at 80 lakh. However, only around half of them — 41,56,137 — were registered for the scheme, according to the PM-Kisan website (as on October 25, 2019).
Out of them, 39,97,295 received the first instalment and 30,10,303 the second; only 10,717 have received the third.
Take Manoj Meena from Sehore district near Bhopal, who owns 1.5 acres of land, where he mostly grows papayas. He only got a text message about the confirmation of his registration for the scheme. Meena has been waiting for the message about the transfer of the fund.
Sethi Patel, a Harda-based farmer, is also waiting for the first instalment. He said he had approached an online outlet to register for the scheme. The Aadhar card and all other relevant documents had been appropriate but he had not received even the first instalment.
Virendra Lowanshi, an eligible farmer from Hoshangabad district, had shared his account details with the government portal but it showed that the first instalment was released to a beneficiary, Sardha Bai.
Farmers who got the first instalment, however, were happy. Devendra Mishra, a young farmer from Chhatarpur district, said that though the amount was very less, it was better than receiving nothing at all. Mishra said he could utilise the amount for either ploughing the land or buying fertiliser and seeds.
Not only farmers, even patwaris (revenue officials) were also facing different kinds of problems in implementing the scheme.
A patwari posted in Chhatarpur district said on the condition of anonymity that the government had asked them to prepare data of 40 per cent of farmers from their area. Due to mismatch of Aadhar data and lack of awareness, patwaris were facing a lot of difficulties in preparing the data.
However, collectors who were heading monitoring committees at district level claimed that they had not faced difficulties in implementing the scheme.
Rajesh Kaul, collector of Burhanpur said the scheme was being implemented smoothly. His team had prepared data of 40,000 eligible farmers from the district and 12,000 farmers had already got their first instalment.
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