Lok Sabha Question No. 205 (STARRED), answered on 2019-12-03
Subject: Funds under PM-Kisan Scheme
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: S. Muniswamy, Diya Kumari

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION & FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 205

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE   3 RD  DECEMBER, 2019

## FUNDS UNDER PM-KISAN SCHEME

*205.     SHRI S. MUNISWAMY: MS. DIYA KUMARI:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) the steps being taken by the Government to speed up flow of funds under PM-Kisan Scheme;
- (b) whether the Government has received any representation/request in this regard;
- (c) if so, the action taken by the Government in this regard;
- (d) the manner in which the benefits of the scheme would reach the farmers; and
- (e) the details of the steps taken/being taken by the Department to make available the benefits of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme to all the farmers across the country?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी

(SHRI NARENDRA  SINGH TOMAR)

- (a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 205  DUE FOR REPLY ON 3 RD  DECEMBER, 2019.

(a) to (e): Government  has      implemented      the  Pradhan  Mantri  Kisan  Samman  Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme, an income support scheme for farmers to enable them to take care of expenses related to agriculture and allied activities as well as domestic needs. The scheme is  for  all  farmers'  families  holding  cultivable  land,  subject  to  certain  exclusions  relating  to higher income groups. The Scheme is effective from 01.12.2018.

Initially, when the scheme was launched on 24 th February, 2019, it was applicable to only Small and Marginal Farmers holding cultivable land upto 2 hectares.  However, due to the overwhelming response received from the farming community, the ambit of the Scheme was extended w.e.f. 01.06.2019 to cover all land holding farmer families across the country, irrespective of the size of their land holding.

Under  the  Scheme,  benefit  is  provided  to  the  eligible  beneficiary  to  the  tune  of Rs.6000/- per year, payable in three 4-monthly instalments of Rs.2000/- each.  The payment is  made  online  directly  into  the  bank  accounts  of  the  eligible  beneficiaries  under  Direct Benefit Transfer mode.

According  to  the  Scheme,  release  of  benefits  under  PM-KISAN  for  the  period  1st December, 2019 onwards shall be made to the beneficiaries only  on the  basis  of Aadhar authenticated  data,  leading  to simplification of process  of  multi-level verification  and validation  by  the  concerned  agencies  thereby  enabling  speedy  payment  of  benefits  to  the eligible beneficiaries.

Although  the  Government  has  not  received  any  specific  representation/request  to speed up flow of fund under PM-KISAN Scheme, representations / grievances have been received for    non-registration    under the    scheme, non-payment of    installments, delay in

-2- receiving  benefits,  correction  in  data,  etc.  Many  procedural  changes  /  interventions  / campaigns have been carried out to  ensure  seamless  and  fast  transfer  of  benefits  to  the beneficiaries  from  time-to-time.  Some  important  procedural  changes  /  interventions  / campaigns are enumerated below:

- (i) Special identification procedures have been devised for the States of Manipur and Nagaland in view of the community based land ownership in these states.
- (ii) Special identification procedure has been devised for the State of Jharkhand which does not have updated land records, as for many decades the mutation of land records on the basis of succession have not been recorded.
- (iii) The benefit of the Scheme has also been extended to forest dweller tribals who have been given 'Pattas' under the  Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.
- (iv) For release of 1 st Instalment under the scheme pertaining to the 4-monthly period December, 2018 - March, 2019, only possession of Aadhaar number was optional. Aadhaar  seeding  of  the  beneficiaries'  data  was  compulsory  for  release  of 2 nd installment  w.e.f. 1 st April, 2019 onwards. Since it was considered to get 100% Aadhaar seeding for release of funds for 2 nd installment be difficult, this condition was relaxed and made applicable for release of 3 rd installment  w.e.f.  1 st August, 2019 onwards. However, possession of Aadhaar number was made compulsory for release of 2 nd installment pertaining to the 4-monthly period April - July, 2019, except for the States of Assam, Meghalaya and J&K where Aadhar penetration is miniscule.  Release  of  3 rd Instalment  onwards  w.e.f.  1 st August,  2019  was  to  be made only on the basis of Aadhaar seeded database of all beneficiaries except in respect of the States of Assam,   Meghalaya and J&K  which will remain exempted

-3- from this requirement till 31.3.2020. However, this deadline was further relaxed by the Government till 30 th November, 2019. The mandatory requirement of Aadhaar seeding of data of beneficiaries will be applicable for release of benefits for the 4monthly periods w.e.f. 1 st December, 2019 onwards.

- (v) All land holding farmer families who are Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in terms of the provisions of the Income Tax Act, 1961 have been excluded from the benefit under the Scheme.
- (vi) The Common Service Centres (CSCs) have also been authorized to do registration of  the  farmers for  the Scheme and also to undertake correction of names of the beneficiaries  as  per  their  Aadhaar  data  upon  payment  of  fees.    The  CSCs  also assist the farmers free of cost in knowing the status of their claims.
- (vii) An  exclusive  'Farmers  Corner'  have  been  provided  in  the  PM-Kisan  Web-portal through  which  the  farmers  can  do  their  self-registration.  As  on  29-11-2019, 20,89,799  beneficiaries  have  registered  themselves  using  the  Farmers'  Corner feature in the PM-KISAN portal.
- (viii) Through Farmers Corner, farmers can also edit their names in PM-Kisan database as per their Aadhaar card through the Farmers Corner.
- (ix) Through Farmers Corner, the farmers can also know the status of their payment.
- (x) Through Farmers Corner, the farmers can also know the village-wise names of the beneficiaries.
- (xi) The  State  /  UT  Governments  have  organized  publicity  /  awareness  camps  to ensure  Aadhar  authentication  of  the  data  of  the  beneficiaries  along  with  new registrations and correction of already registered data. As a result of this, a large number of beneficiaries have been brought under the Scheme and benefits were disbursed  to  the  already  registered  beneficiaries  whose  payments  were  pending for  want  of  correction  of  data,  thereby  enabling  speedy  flow  of  funds  under  the Scheme.                                          *******