KOHIMA: The comptroller and auditor general (CAG) of India has flagged serious irregularities in the implementation of the PM-KISAN scheme in the Northeast state of Nagaland.
Although, the Nagaland government achieved its targets, the CAG said that implementation of the Pradhan Mantri-Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme in the Northeast state is fraught with shortcomings.
According to the CAG report a large amount of money was paid to over 2000 ineligible beneficiaries.
Genuine applicants were rejected over reasons such as incorrect entries of unique biometric identity and bank account numbers, the CAG stated.
The performance audit, covering the period from December 2018 to March 2021 reported that an amount of Rs 2.36 crore was paid to 2053 ineligible beneficiaries in Nagaland.
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The ineligible beneficiaries in Nagaland included 662 in-service and 82 retired government employees.
The CAG further stated that there were 108 dead people in the list of beneficiaries of the PM-KISAN scheme in Nagaland.
“Further analysis revealed that 132 instalments of Rs 2.64 lakh were credited to bank accounts of 43 beneficiaries even after their deaths,” the CAG noted.