THANJAVUR: With the Union government making it mandatory to update eKYC details by linking Aadhaar for availing of financial assistance under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, at least a quarter of the farmers registered under the scheme are racing against the November 30 deadline to comply with norms and receive the latest cash instalment that has been withheld.
Under the PM-Kisan scheme that was rolled out in December 2018 an income support of Rs 6,000 per year in three equal instalments is being provided to all land-holding farmer families. Each instalment of Rs 2,000 is being released once every four months. The 12th instalment was released on October 17, 2022.
However, several of the farmers in the district who had benefited from the 11th instalment of Rs 2,000 have not received the 12th instalment. K A Koothalingam, a farmer from Pallathur, said around 40 in his village, including him, have not received the 12th instalment.
"When contacted, agriculture department officials asked us to update eKYC details by linking Aadhaar on the PM Kisan website. But when we went to the common service centres (CSC), the staff said the portal is not working," he added.
Taking up the issue, farmers who participated in the RDO-level monthly grievance redressal meeting held in Kumbakonam on Thursday even staged a walkout demanding the requirement to link Aadhaar for PM Kisan scheme to be done away with. They also staged a protest outside the venue. When contacted an Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department official acknowledged to TNIE that several farmers who got the earlier instalments failed to receive the 12th one.
"This is because on verification such farmers were found ineligible under the scheme due to various reasons, including that more than one person from the same family was found getting the assistance," the official said. Those who were found paying income tax and also availing of the assistance from the scheme, and those who fell under other exclusionary criteria, including getting a monthly pension of Rs 10,000 or more, have also been weeded out, the official added.
According to data available a total of 1,16,499 from the district have registered for the scheme. Of them 46,539 were found ineligible due to various reasons, including not linking their Aadhaar. "Hence these persons did not receive the 12th instalment," the official pointed out.
Further, as many as 27,696 farmers who have registered under the scheme are yet to link their Aadhaar. The last date for linking Aadhaar is November 30. "If they successfully linked their Aadhaar, they would receive all their unpaid instalments," the official added.