Centre tells states to update records for next payment to farmers under PM scheme

State governments are now working overtime to update the records of farmers in Central databases ahead of the next instalment of the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme as nearly 2 crore farmers missed out on the last instalment because their records were not filed.

The development comes after the Central government informed the states that there had been a decline in the payout from the scheme in the last instalment.

Farmers get a cash payment of Rs 2,000 directly into their accounts under the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme which was started four years ago.

The Centre paid Rs 22,552 crore to 10.45 crore farmers as the 11th instalment of the PM-Kisan Nidhi scheme on May 31 last year. However, the amount fell drastically to Rs 17,443 crore given out to 8.42 crore farmers as the 12th instalment on October 17 last year.

The decline happened mainly because land and beneficiary records of farmers were not being updated in central databases. The Centre has made this mandatory in order to make the scheme more transparent and ensure that the funds reach the intended beneficiaries.

The conditions for the scheme require that the land record of the farmer must be shown as proof that the farmer actually owns land. The farmer’s e-KYC has to be completed on the PM-Kisan Portal. Besides, the farmer’s bank account must be seeded with Aadhaar and this must be also linked to National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

The Uttar Pradesh government has launched a special two-week long campaign from January 16, in every village of the state to help farmers get their records updated.

Revenue and administration officials have been asked to camp in villages to work with farmers and banks will also be roped in to ensure the bank accounts of farmers are seeded properly.

Maharashtra has also stepped up work in this regard, according to officials.