NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, SEP 18
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been set up by the Tamil Nadu police to probe the alleged irregularities in the Central government’s “Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi.”
The Crime Branch CID said on Friday that the SIT has been set up to look into allegations of a large number of ineligible farmers availing benefits of the scheme using fraudulent means.
Under the scheme an income support of Rs 6,000 per year in three equal instalments is provided to small and marginal farmers having combined land holding/ownership of upto two hectares.
The fund will be directly transferred to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.
“Complaints were received that many ineligible farmers were inducted and availed the benefits through malpractices with the connivance of officials and outsourcing agencies,” a CB-CID release said.
Based on the complaints, 13 cases have been registered under appropriate penal section in the various district units of the CB-CID. So far, 52 people have been arrested.
Subsequently, “a Special Investigation Team is constituted under the DGP, CB CID, assisted by the IGP Crime CID and two SPs with the field staff of six DSPs and 18 Inspectors,” it said.
According to Agriculture Secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi last week, approximately Rs 110 crore was fraudulently credited to the bank accounts of about 5.5 lakh ineligible persons in 13 districts of Tamil Nadu under the scheme in the past few months and Rs 32 crore had been recovered.
Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami had said it was the state government which unearthed the scam and ordered a CB-CID probe.
