Maha: Battle Between Two Departments Deprive 8 Lakh Farmers of PM Kisan Scheme

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana (PM Kisan) is hugely popular among small scale farmers as it directly gives Rs 6,000 to their accounts. Maharashtra was among the best states in implementing this scheme last year. But this year, it has come to notice that the battle between officers of revenue and the agriculture department over the credit of success has ruined the chances of 8 lakh farmers to get the scheme's benefits. The chief secretary and ministers have intervened to solve the issue, but there is no progress.

PM Kisan is a Central government scheme and states are the implementation authorities for the scheme. As per this scheme, the Centre gives farmers Rs 6,000 in three instalments. According to numbers with the revenue department, five crore and five lakh farmers have received more than Rs 17,000 crore in Maharashtra under it.

As a result, Maharashtra won three prizes last February for being the best-implementing state. The sources in the revenue department suggest that these prizes have become trigger points for war between the two departments.

"There is buzz that the revenue department officers are angry and dissatisfied. They are the implementation authority in the state and did all paperwork. But when it came to receiving the award, the agriculture minister and agriculture secretary and commissioner went for it. So, revenue department officers feel that the agriculture department took credit for the success without work," said a senior officer who sits in the administrative headquarters of the MVA government in Mumbai.

Sources in the state's bureaucracy inform that the revenue officers are now asking the government to hand over the scheme to the agriculture department for complete implementation. This scheme needs lots of paperwork. Like checking forms of beneficiaries, checking IFSC codes of every bank account, making and cross-checking lists of all beneficiaries, updating the details timely etc. The revenue department does all this as only they have a mechanism present in every village.

"Since last February, revenue department officials are not attending issues in this scheme. They want the agriculture department to handle these things. Ministers of both departments, as well as the chief secretary asked to expedite the list work. But nothing is happening," said a senior officer in the agriculture department.

In September last year, a meeting between Balasaheb Thorat revenue minister and agriculture minister Dadaji Bhuse, secretaries of both departments and other officials was held to solve the issues. Ministers were directed to end the conflict and work jointly to benefit farmers. But the situation has not improved.

All India Kisan Sabha has slammed the MVA government for this miscommunication and no coordination between its two departments. "This scheme is eyewash for farmers. Nevertheless, whatever amount they are getting is stuck into ego battles of officers. We call it the responsibility of the MVA government. It is for the chief minister and his ministers to start the process immediately," said Dr Ajit Navale, state secretary of AIKS.

As a result, more than eight lakh applications of farmers are pending. Generally, by March 15, the first instalment of this scheme came into farmers' accounts. The data of these eight lakh farmers are not yet updated, so there is the possibility that they might not get the instalment this time.

Technically there are a few essential things that need to be done by the revenue department. It has to check the forms of farmers. The rights to review these claims are with the tehsil head or deputy district collector. Both come from the revenue department. So, either they have to check and clear the forms of farmers. Or, they have to submit the passwords of websites where the form checking process takes place. They will have to submit these passwords to the agriculture department. But as there is no such decision to give password rights to the agriculture department, this process is stuck.

Eight lakh farmers would get Rs 6 thousand each. That means Rs 480 crores will come to the state. It is no small amount, and the MVA government must responsibly facilitate the amount to farmers.