PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scam worth crores, 16 arrested
Chennai: The PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana scheme, which guarantees farmers Rs 6,000 per annum, has come up against a major scam. Sixteen people have been arrested in a multi-crore fraud case in Tamil Nadu. The case is currently being investigated by the CID.
So far CBCID has arrested 16 people from Cuddalore, Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram, Salem, Kallakurichi districts. His inquiry revealed that about 40,000 ineligible people were availing Rs 6,000 per annum from the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Yojana by giving false information. Under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, annual help is given to farmers in 3 installments.
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The fraud came to light about a year ago. While Cuddalore Collector Chandrasekhar Sakhamurai also found the name of a farmer who was not in the list of beneficiaries in Pilaiyarmedu village. An inquiry has been ordered into the matter.
The Joint Directors of the Department of Agriculture in the investigation said that there were many such frauds in the investigation of their jurisdiction. After which the government has handed over the investigation of the case to CBCID.
Raja Surendra Reddy, vice-president of the BJP Kisan Morcha in the state, said these people were taking advantage on the basis of false documents and fake addresses.
An amount of Rs 10 crore was transferred to the accounts of the fake beneficiaries, an official said. Of this, Rs 1.5 crore has been sent back to the government account.
Officials further said that two of the people arrested in the fraud case are from Tharamangalam in Salem district. It was these people who helped non-farmers to apply for the Prime Minister's Kisan Samman Scheme from their computer center.
There are about 14,000 disqualified beneficiaries from Salem district alone. While there are about 5000 such unqualified beneficiaries from other districts. Apart from this 51 other people have also been identified.
A permanent employee or king in the agriculture department prosecuting the fraud case has been suspended on charges of complicity in fraud. Apart from this, the agriculture department has also transferred Ilangovan, the joint director of Salem.
Regarding the scam, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Palanisamy told reporters in Thiruvallur that a neutral probe into the case was underway. BJP leaders have also demanded an impartial inquiry into the scam.
BJP state general secretary Karu Nagarju along with other party functionaries has filed a petition with chief secretary K Sanmugam seeking immediate removal of the names of disqualified beneficiaries from the list.
MK Stalin, leader of the main opposition party DMK, said it was worrying to meet more than 10,000 disqualified beneficiaries in Chief Minister Palanisamy's home district.
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