Only Aadhaar-linked bank accounts to get PM-KISAN benefits from Dec: Govt

From this month onwards, funds under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana (PM-Kisan) will be transferred to only Aadhaar-authenticated bank accounts of eligible farmers, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said in Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

Under PM-Kisan scheme, the government is providing Rs 6,000 per annum in three equal installments to 14 crore farmers. The amount is directly transferred into the bank accounts of beneficiaries.

Aadhaar was made optional for availing the first installment (December 2018 - March 2019) except for farmers of Assam, Meghalaya and Jammu and Kashmir who have been exempted till March 2020. However, Aadhaar number was mandated for getting the second tranche of money. Due to delay in Aadhaar seeding, the condition was relaxed for till November 30 for availing both second and third installments.

"The mandatory requirement of Aadhaar seeding of beneficiaries' data continues to be applicable for release of all installments falling due with effect from December 1, 2019 onward," Tomar said in his written reply to the Lower House.

The government has transferred funds under the scheme to 7.60 crore beneficiary till November 30. About Rs 35,882.8 crore has so far been disbursed to beneficiaries, he said.

Registration of farmers for this scheme and subsequent installment-wise transfer of benefits to them, the minister said is a "continuous and ongoing process."

The transfer of funds to the identified eligible beneficiaries takes place as and when their correct and verified data are uploaded by the concerned state governments on PM-Kisan web-portal, he said, adding that the speed with which error-free beneficiaries' data is uploaded differs from state to state.

The Minister further said that the data of beneficiaries so suploaded by the state government undergoes a multi-level verification and validation by various concerned agencies, including the banks. This entire proces is replicated for transfer of every instalment.

"Hence, at any time of time, there remains substantial unprocessed data of beneficiaries which are taken care of in due course of time," Tomar said while responding to query on delay in release of first installment.

Accordingly, the release of installments to beneficiary farmers are in various stages of progress. "Some farmers have got all three installments, some only two and some only one, depending upon the four-monthly period in which they have been first registered by the concerned state governments," he added.

To further facilitate registration of farmers, the minister said an exclusive 'Farmers corner' has been provided in the PM-Kisan portal through which farmers can do their self-registration. Farmers can also edit their names as per their Aadhaar card.

Farmers can also know the status of their payment through the Farmers Corner. Common Service Centres have also been authorised to assist the farmers in this regards, he added.