THANJAVUR
Delta farmers have demanded the probe into the alleged inclusion of bogus beneficiaries in the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation.
In a memorandum addressed to the Union and Tamil Nadu governments, Sundara Vimalanathan, secretary, Thanjavur District Cauvery Farmers Protection Association, said that it was shocking to note that non-farmers have been included in the scheme to receive the benefits intended for the farmers even while the farmers' associations were raising the issue of non-inclusion of several thousands of farmers in the scheme.
As the scam net was suspected to spread across the government departments, public and private internet centres and `brokers’, the association suggested that it would be apt to hand over the investigation to the CBI.
Meanwhile, P.R. Pandian, president, All Farmers Organisation Committee, Tamil Nadu, has urged the governments to initiate necessary steps to bring the culprits to the book and claimed that poor updation and non-ratification of land records particularly the records relating to agriculture was the root cause of the problem.
Stating that land record details were not properly ratified and updated after 1984, Mr.Pandian called upon the Tamil Nadu government to constitute a high-level committee to look into this issue and upload the revised land record details so as to ensure that eligible farmers were not left out.
