Bhubaneswar: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has sought the intervention of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik regarding disbursal of 7th instalment assistance under the PM-KISAN scheme of the Centre.
In a letter to the Chief Minister, Pradhan said only 24.7 lakh farmers of the 40.5 lakh registered under PM-KISAN have received the aid in 7th instalment.
The Union Minister said though Odisha’s farmers form two-third of the state’s population and contribute to a fifth of its GDP, the number of farmers receiving the benefits under PM-KISAN is far less than those registered, Pradhan stated.
The Union Minister alleged that due to non-compliance to procedural requirements and administrative oversight by the state officials, several farmers are deprived of the benefits.
Non-disbursement of benefits under PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi Yojana to the needy farmers at a time when the pandemic has affected many of them is disheartening. “It is like depriving them of the government support when they need it the most,” he added.
He said the trend of lower fund releases has been noticed over the years. While only 9.73 lakh farmers were paid in the first instalment, it was 29.92 lakh farmers in the second instalment, 28.87 lakh farmers in the third instalment, 25.61 lakh in the 4th instalment, 21.55 lakh in the 5th instalment and 23.38 lakh in the 6th instalment.
Citing the figures and the hardships faced by farmers due to the pandemic, the Union Minister requested the Chief Minister to personally look into the matter and ensure expeditious disbursal of the aid under PM-KISAN.
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