Where have 1.86 cr farmers vanished?

The number of beneficiary farmers under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana is consistently decreasing. Under this scheme, the government sends three installments of Rs 2,000 each, totaling Rs 6,000 annually, to the bank accounts of farmers. This scheme was initiated in the financial year 2018-19, and so far, the government has released 13 installments. Farmers are currently awaiting the 14th installment.

Decreasing number of beneficiaries:
In the financial year 2021-22, 10.41 crore farmers benefited from the PM Kisan Yojana. However, in the financial year 2022-23, the number of beneficiaries decreased by 1.86 crore, resulting in a total of 8.55 crore beneficiaries. In just one year, there was an 18% decrease in the number of beneficiary farmers. Considering the increasing scrutiny, it is anticipated that the number of beneficiaries may further decrease in the coming days.

What is the reason?
The government has established certain rules for the beneficiaries of this scheme. Investigations have revealed that many individuals have been fraudulently availing the benefits of this scheme. Such individuals have been excluded from the scheme, and efforts are being made to recover the funds from those who falsely claimed benefits. Due to this fear, some ineligible individuals have voluntarily surrendered. As a result, there has been a decrease in the number of farmers. In February 2021, the government stated in the Rajya Sabha that 32.91 lakh ineligible farmers had received Rs 2,328 crore under this scheme.

Those who are not eligible for the scheme
Initially, the scheme included only those farmers who owned less than two hectares of land. However, later on, all farmers were included. Government employees and those who pay income tax are not eligible for this scheme. Additionally, doctors, engineers, chartered accountants (CAs), and those receiving a pension of more than Rs 10,000 are also excluded from the scheme.

Government savings of Rs 9,386 crore
The decrease in the number of beneficiaries under the PM Kisan Yojana has resulted in savings for the government’s treasury. According to the figures provided on the website, the government released Rs 67,032 crore in 2021-22 and Rs 57,646 crore in 2022-23. In total, the government saved Rs 9,386 crore.