Centre to start open registration under PM-KISAN to speed up disbursements

The Central government, to boost PM-KISAN disbursements, has decided to open enrolment through a single-registration process without involving state agencies.

 
Officials have said in accordance with the new system, which will be in place in a few days, a farmer can register himself on the PM-KISAN portal and get the necessary documents uploaded (Aadhaar, bank details, and land documents) for verification without waiting for any state agency or official to formally approach him.
 
Once the registration is completed, the documents will be scrutinised at the Central level and forwarded to state departments for final approval.
 
After the process is over, the fund, along with arrears, will be immediately transferred to his account.
 
Officials said the open registration process would help in bypassing bureaucratic hurdles and political reluctance on the part of some states in getting farmers enrolled for PM-KISAN.
 
“In some states like West Bengal, there are around seven million farmers who are eligible for PM-KISAN but are not able to get their dues because state agencies are not willing to enrol them. This process would help in bypassing all such difficulties,” a senior official said.
 
He said in some other states new farmers were not able to enrol for PM-KISAN because the state machinery had its own limitations.
 
That apart, the Centre has directed state governments and banks to speed up demographic Aadhaar authentication to ensure that it is seeded with bank accounts.
 
An Aadhaar-seeded bank account is a requisite for getting the third instalment of Rs 2,000 under PM-KISAN, which has to be paid by November.
 
In some states like Uttar Pradesh, not a single farmer was paid the third instalment till some time ago. To get round this problem, officials said the Central government was starting a facility of online rectification of Aadhaar and bank account details for farmers.
 
The data shows the first instalment of Rs 2,000 has so far been paid to 64.5 million beneficiaries, amounting to Rs 12,900 crore, while the second instalment of another Rs 2,000 has been given to 34.4 million beneficiaries, amounting to Rs 6,880 crore.
 
The third instalment has been so far paid to 9.1 million farmer families, amounting to Rs 1,820 crore.
 
A sum of Rs 21,600 crore has been paid to farmer families so far under PM-KISAN. For 2019-20, Rs 75,000 crore has been allocated.