Odisha’s farmers have been deprived of the benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana (PM-KISAN) as very few have been registered due to noncompliance of procedures, charged Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Farmers form the bulwark of Odisha’s rural economy contributing a fifth of its GDP and yet the percentage of farmers receiving PM-KISAN benefit is significantly less than the number of farmers registered under the scheme in Odisha, he regretted.

This is primarily due to noncompliance to procedural requirements and administrative oversight by the officials of the state government, he charged.

Non-disbursement of due benefits under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana to many of the needy farmers of Odisha, especially in the backdrop of hardships caused by the Covid19 pandemic, is disheartening and deprives them of the government support when they need it the most, stated Pradhan in a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today.

The state government needs to upload a correct list of beneficiaries with details for funds to be transferred to the bank account of beneficiaries, he underscored .

The Prime Minister released a net sum of Rs 19,000 crores as the 7th installment of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana to 9.5 crores registered farmers nationwide.

As per official records, a total of 40.5 lakh farmers are covered in Odisha, under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. However, it was found that only 24.7 lakh farmers received the payment of Rs. 2000 each from the release of the 7th installment, he pointed out.

Pradhan said this is not the first time that this is happening. The same trend of lower fund releases can be noticed in previous six installments.

Providing details he said of the total 40.5 registered beneficiaries of PM KISAN in Odisha , only 9.73 lakhs farmers (24%) received the 1st installment, only 29.92 lakhs farmers (74%) received the 2nd installment, 28.77 lakhs (71%) got the 3rd installment, 25.61 lakhs (63%) the 4th installment , 21.55 lakhs (53%) received the 5th installment, only 23.38 lakhs (58%) received the 6th installment and 24.70 lakhs (61%) got the 7th installment.

Pradhan requested CM Naveen Patnaik to personally intervene and ensure expeditious compliance of procedural formalities and help 40.5 lakh farmers of the state get the benefit of PM KISAN. Significantly, the letter of the Union Minister comes less than 24 hours after he had echoed the sentiment of the CM and wholeheartedly supported the controversial heritage corridor development at Puri.

Pradhan’s support to the CM on the sensitive issue had set the gossip mills rolling over the ‘friendly equations between the CMO and Pradhan’.

On another plane , it needs mention that Odisha has been implementing its very own attractive KALIA scheme for farmers, landless labourers transferring money to the bank account of farmers.

Last month, the CM disbursed Rs 1272 crore to more than 53 lakh farmers in the state.