Lok Sabha Question No. 4935 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-01
Subject: Ineligible Beneficiaries under PM-KISAN
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Dr. Shashi Tharoor

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4935

TO BE ANSWERED ON 01 ST  APRIL, 2025

## INELIGIBLE BENEFICIARIES UNDER PM-KISAN

4935. DR. SHASHI THAROOR: Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण मंğी be pleased to state: (a)  whether  the  Government  has  data  on  the  number  and  percentage  of  ineligible beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Yojna; (b) if so, the details thereof along with the percentage of ineligible beneficiaries in each State for the last five years, State-wise; (c) the details for the amounts to be refunded from the ineligible beneficiaries, State-wise; and (d) the proportion of the number of ineligible beneficiaries under PM-KISAN to the number of agricultural households in Kerala?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण राÏय मंğी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

(a) to (d):  The PM-KISAN scheme is a central sector scheme launched in February 2019 by the Hon'ble Prime Minister to supplement the financial needs of cultivable land-holding farmers. Under the scheme, a financial benefit of Rs 6,000/- per year is transferred in three equal instalments, into the Aadhaar seeded bank accounts of farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.

A farmer-centric digital infrastructure has ensured the benefits of the scheme reach all the farmers across the country without involvement of any intermediaries. Maintaining absolute transparency in registering and verifying beneficiaries, the Government of India has  disbursed  over  Rs  3.68  lakh  Cr.  through  19  installments  since  inception.  The  19th Instalment  of  PM-Kisan  was  released  on  24th  February,  2025  and  more  than  9.8  crore beneficiaries received the benefit amounting to over Rs. 22,000 crore.

Benefits of  the  scheme are  transferred  to  the  beneficiaries  through  Direct  Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode, based on the verified data received from the States/UTs on the PMKISAN portal.  The scheme  initially  started  on  a trust-based  system,  where  beneficiaries were registered by the states on self-certification basis. Initially, Aadhaar seeding was also relaxed for some of the States. Later on, to address this, several technological interventions were introduced, including integration with PFMS, UIDAI, and the Income Tax Department. Further, land seeding was made mandatory along with Aadhaar based payment and e-KYC. The benefits of the farmers, who did not complete these mandatory criteria, were stopped. As and when these farmers complete their mandatory requirements and meet the eligibility criteria, they receive the benefits of the scheme along with their due installments, if any.

Further, States/UTs are  mandated to recover any  amount transferred  to ineligible farmers marked due to higher income groups such as income tax payees, employees of PSUs, State/Central Govt., Constitutional post holders etc. An amount of Rs. 416 Cr. has been recovered from the ineligible beneficiaries so far across the country.  Out of which, Rs. 2.43 crore has been recovered from ineligible beneficiaries marked in Kerala.

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