8 lakh ineligible Assam farmers benefitted from 'PM Kisan scheme'; Congress fumes at BJP

GUWAHATI: After Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar's admission of anomalies in the PM Kisan Scheme, members of the Assam unit of Congress questioned the BJP-led over it alleged failure to stop the anomalies.

Tomar, while replying to a question on the 2019- launched PM Kisan scheme in the Lok Sabha was forced to admit that irregularities happened in the PM Kisan scheme and that Rs 2992.75 crores went to ineligible farmers in the country. In this matter, Assam managed to secure a first place as 8.35 lakh ‘ineligible’ or fake farmers across the state took Rs 558.01 crores from the scheme, said Sri Tomar in the house.

Issuing a press release, the Congress pointed out that earlier, when it had raised questions on irregularities in the selection of farmers in the PM Kisan scheme, its contention was rejected forthwith by the then Assam BJP Government’s Chief Minister & Fnance Minister and others "and they were then blowing their own trumpet on zero tolerance on corruption."

"Is it not now apparent, following the statement by the Union Agriculture Minister, that these irregularities point to corruption within the government?," the Congress said in its release.

The money collected by these ineligible farmers should be brought back and then distributed among deserving and genuine farmers, after screening them properly, said the Congress in its release.

"We also want to submit that every scheme should be investigated and fake beneficiaries weeded out so that the money can be given to the deserving ones. Instead of preaching about zero tolerance on corruption, the government should practice what is preaches so that the people are benefitted and the schemes become successful. Otherwise, the state will make its mark in dubious distinctions instead of succeeding in climbing towards the  among the top states in the country," it added.

The grand old party further asked the chief minister to take firm steps in this matter and "express his own zero tolerance towards corruption."

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