Agriculture department files affidavit in HC
STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Assam's Agriculture Department has informed the Gauhati High Court that 11.72 lakh ineligible people fraudulently received benefits in the State under the Centre's PM Kisan scheme.
This fact was stated recently in an additional affidavit submitted before the court by the Joint Secretary of the Agriculture Department, Gunajeet Kashyap, in connection with a Public Interest Litigation (No. 73/2020), which was filed by an organization named the Amguri Naba Nirman Samity.
The affidavit stated that the magnitude of the scam was brought to light in 2020 by the one-man enquiry led by the then Additional Chief Secretary Jishnu Baruah.
The affidavit further stated: "Subsequent thereto, the process of recovery started and district officials issued notices to such persons individually and also published notices in newspapers asking them to refund the money received. As of now, Rs 1.5 crore (approx) of money has been recovered."
According to the affidavit, on June 7, 2021, the newly-elected Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had directed that third-party verification be done to identify ineligible beneficiaries. Later, on August 12, the State Government issued a Notification relaxing the land policy "which would make many genuine farmers eligible. Now, the verification process is going on."
The affidavit also mentioned that the Agriculture Department has so far suspended the district agriculture officer of Morigaon Saroj Kalita and district agriculture officer of Barpeta Krishna Pathak. Two data entry operators of the Morigaon and Dhubri districts have been dismissed from service.
This apart, the affidavit stated, show-cause notices were served upon 16 district agriculture officers and 98 agricultural development officers, along with all agricultural extension assistants of Barpeta district. The replies of 50 officers were received and 38 cases will be placed before the State Enquiry Officer because of unsatisfactory replies, the affidavit added.
Further, it said, an FIR was lodged by the district agriculture officer of Bongaigaon and two persons have been arrested from Darrang district for having fraudulently added the names of 734 beneficiaries to the PM Kisan portal.
The hearing of the case will resume on February 7.
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