Husband, wife claiming same benefit? Govt flags 29.13 lakh PM-Kisan cases, Pg9.

Key Highlights:

• The Union government identified 29.13 lakh "suspected" cases under the PM-Kisan scheme where both husband and wife were receiving benefits.
• Verification of 19.4 lakh beneficiaries confirmed 18.23 lakh as ineligible till October 13, 2025, saving the government ₹6,000 per ineligible person annually.
• Uttar Pradesh leads with 9.9 lakh suspected cases, followed by Rajasthan (3.75 lakh) and Jharkhand (3.04 lakh).
• The Agriculture Ministry has asked states to complete verification by October 15.
• The government has allocated ₹63,500 crore for PM-Kisan in the Union Budget 2025-26.

Detailed Insights:

• The PM-Kisan scheme aims to provide financial assistance of ₹6,000 per year to landholding farmer families, disbursed in three equal installments via Direct Benefit Transfer.
• As per guidelines, a farmer's family includes husband, wife, and minor children, with only one member eligible for the PM-Kisan benefit.
• The ministry also found 1.76 lakh cases where minors and other family members were receiving benefits, and 33.34 lakh cases with invalid landowner details.
• 8.11 lakh suspected cases involve both previous and current landowners receiving benefits, while 8.83 lakh cases showed mutation reasons other than inheritance.
• From January 1, a Farmer ID was made mandatory for new enrollments to ensure benefits reach intended beneficiaries.
• The 20th installment of PM-KISAN was released on August 2, 2025, transferring funds to over 9.7 crore farmers.
• A Parliamentary panel recently suggested doubling the yearly PM-Kisan payout to ₹12,000 per annum.

Key Concepts Involved:

• PM-Kisan: A central sector scheme providing income support to landholding farmer families.
• Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT): A mechanism to transfer subsidies and benefits directly into the bank accounts of beneficiaries.
• Landholder farmer’s family: Defined as a family comprising husband, wife, and minor children who own cultivable land.