IMPHAL, April 1: The Centre has reported irregularities in the implementation of the PM-KISAN scheme in Manipur, as highlighted in an audit by the Accountant General (AG). In response, the state government has lodged an FIR to address the issue, Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ramnath Thakur informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
According to the minister, states and Union Territories are responsible for recovering any funds disbursed to ineligible farmers. “As per information from the Government of Manipur, the AG Audit Report flagged certain irregularities, leading the state to file an FIR,” Thakur stated in his written reply.
An audit report has revealed “irregularities” in the implementation of the PM-KISAN scheme in Manipur, the Central government reiterated on April 1, further informing that the state government has taken legal action in the matter. The Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare emphasized that all states and Union Territories have been mandated to recover any funds that were transferred to ineligible farmers.
Launched in February 2019, the PM-KISAN scheme is a central sector plan that provides financial assistance to cultivable land-holding farmers. Under the scheme, eligible farmers receive Rs. 6,000 per year in three equal instalments, which are transferred directly into their Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.
Since its inception, the Centre has disbursed over Rs. 3.68 lakh crore across 19 instalments. Initially, the scheme operated on a trust-based registration system, where states enrolled beneficiaries based on self-certification. Aadhaar-seeding was initially relaxed for some states, but later, stricter technological measures were introduced. The government implemented mandatory land seeding, Aadhaar-based payments, and e-KYC to ensure transparency and prevent misuse of funds.
“The benefits for farmers who have not met these criteria were halted. Once they complete the required processes, they will receive pending instalments,” Thakur added.
So far, Rs. 416 crore has been recovered from ineligible beneficiaries across the country.
