PM Kisan Scheme Under Scrutiny: Government Detects Major Fraud, Begins Action Against Duplicate Beneficiaries

The Central Government has launched a major verification drive after uncovering large-scale irregularities in the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme. During an internal review, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare found that both husbands and wives in thousands of households were simultaneously receiving benefits under the scheme — a clear violation of eligibility rules.

With the next installment of the scheme due soon, the government is tightening its checks to ensure that only genuine farmers remain on the beneficiary list.

31 Lakh Beneficiaries Under Investigation

According to official sources, more than 31 lakh farmers across India have been identified as “suspect beneficiaries” because both spouses were drawing payments separately. The Centre has directed all state governments and union territories to verify these cases by October 15, 2025, and remove the ineligible names from the database before releasing the upcoming 21st installment of PM-Kisan.

As per ministry data, verification has already been completed in 19.02 lakh cases, out of which 17.87 lakh (94%) were confirmed to be cases where both husband and wife were receiving funds. This large-scale mismatch prompted the government to take swift corrective action.

Centre Takes Strict Action Before Next Installment

The Ministry has categorized these duplicate entries under the “doubtful beneficiary” list and instructed states to submit their reports urgently. The government’s priority is to clean the records before disbursing the 21st installment to ensure transparency and prevent misuse of taxpayer money.

Sources indicate that once the review concludes, around 31 lakh names could be removed from the scheme’s beneficiary list — meaning those individuals will no longer receive the ₹2,000 quarterly installment.

This is part of a broader effort to streamline the PM-Kisan database and eliminate fake, duplicate, or ineligible accounts.

About the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme

Launched in February 2019, the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme provides ₹6,000 annually to eligible farmers, distributed in three equal installments directly into their bank accounts. Since its inception, the government has transferred benefits to over 9.7 crore farmers across 20 installments, strengthening the financial stability of small and marginal farmers across the country.

However, the government has repeatedly emphasized that the scheme is meant strictly for one eligible member per family — either the husband, the wife, or a single adult family member owning cultivable land.

Eligibility Rules and Key Conditions

The Ministry of Agriculture has once again reminded states of the basic eligibility criteria under PM-Kisan:

• Only one family member — either husband or wife — can receive benefits under the scheme. If both are found receiving payments, one account must be deactivated.

• Beneficiary must be above 18 years of age. Any accounts registered under minors’ names will be disqualified.

• Land ownership prior to February 1, 2019, is a must. Farmers who purchased agricultural land after this date are not eligible for the scheme’s benefits.

These conditions are designed to ensure that the funds reach the rightful small and marginal farmers who genuinely depend on agriculture for their livelihood.

Massive Cleanup Drive Before Diwali

As millions of farmers eagerly await the 21st installment of PM-Kisan, the ongoing verification exercise may temporarily delay payments for some accounts. But the government maintains that cleansing the beneficiary database is essential to safeguard the integrity of one of India’s largest direct benefit schemes.

By tightening verification and removing duplicate entries, the Centre aims to ensure that the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana continues to serve its true purpose — supporting real farmers and strengthening rural India’s economic foundation.