CAG uncovers massive irregularities in PM-Kisan disbursals in Tripura

Agartala, April 23: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has exposed massive irregularities in the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme in Tripura.

The findings, tabled in the state assembly during the recently concluded budget session, highlight that a significant portion of funds meant for poor and marginal farmers were wrongfully disbursed to ineligible individuals—including government employees, income tax payers, and even deceased persons.

Launched in 2018, PM-Kisan is a centrally sponsored scheme that provides Rs 6,000 annually to eligible small and marginal landholding farmers in three equal installments.

The funds are transferred directly to beneficiaries via the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system, with state governments responsible for the identification of eligible recipients. Since inception, the scheme has reached over 11 crore farmers with disbursements exceeding Rs 3.45 lakh crore nationwide.

However, the CAG audit, covering the period till March 31, 2023, uncovered glaring violations in Tripura’s beneficiary list. Out of 2.44 lakh farmers registered under the scheme in 2023, 2,911 were deemed ineligible. Shockingly, 2,763 of these still received payments totaling Rs 4.18 crore.

In one particularly serious lapse, Rs 4.44 lakh was transferred to 173 individuals even after they had been declared ineligible by field officers. Of this, Rs 3.60 lakh was credited to 151 beneficiaries due to administrative failure in enforcing “Stop Payment” instructions.

The misuse also extended to government employees who are explicitly barred under the scheme. A cross-check with the state’s Human Resource Management System revealed that 337 government staff, mostly Group B and C employees, had received Rs 47.84 lakh in violation of PM-KISAN norms.

Equally disturbing was the continued disbursement of funds to deceased persons. The audit identified 1,155 such cases, with 848 of them receiving Rs 54.20 lakh posthumously. In 111 cases, Rs 2.36 lakh was paid even after the deaths were reported—again due to failure in halting payments.

The report also flagged instances of income tax-paying individuals availing benefits, further violating eligibility criteria.

While the state government has claimed that recovery measures have been initiated and district authorities have been instructed to verify and clean the beneficiary list, the CAG dismissed the response as inadequate.

The report emphasised the need for stricter monitoring, better inter-departmental coordination, and immediate action to prevent further misuse of public funds.

The revelations have sparked concern over the effectiveness of scheme implementation and have raised questions about the accountability of field-level administration in Tripura.