BJP mounts pressure on state govt for judicial probe into KISAN scheme scam

Tamil Nadu BJP workers on Monday staged protests in Thanjavur, Tiruvallur, Dharmapuri and Chengalpet demanding that action be taken against the local bank and TN officials who were behind siphoning off of public money.

BJP president L Murugan also sought Chief Secretary K Shanmugham to recommend judicial inquiry into the matter. In a letter, Murugan said there are cases of more than 30,000 bogus accounts being created to siphon off the funds allocated under the scheme. The project, a brainchild of PM Modi, is designed to benefit about 40 lakh farmers in the State and will provide annual relief of Rs 6,000 per farmer, but the objective of the project is affected due to the scam, Murugan said.

The scam has become an embarrassment for the BJP-AIADMK alliance, admitted an AIADMK senior, who is upset with the BJP for toeing Opposition line. “The CB-CID police have registered cases against the offenders and the investigations have begun. But the BJP wants to score brownie points to help dwarf issues like economic slowdown and GST dues,” he said.

Meanwhile, Handlooms and Textiles Minister OS Manian defended the State stating that it was the simplification of the process that created racketeers. Earlier, the applications were routed through the panchayat officers and then cleared by Revenue and Agriculture department officials, but the Centre eased the documentation process. But vested interests have created havoc, he said assuring action.

DMK president MK Stalin has demanded a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in PM KISAN scheme being implemented in the State. Referring to the reported scam, Stalin sought to know whether if the corruption under the AIADMK regime has the backing of the BJP, which projects the Prime Minister as a crusader against corruption. He urged the Centre to conduct a CBI probe against the involvement of State higher-ups and initiate fair action.

Strict action would be initiated against those involved in the PM-Kisan KSNY scam and investigation has been intensified after the Chief Minister ordered for a CB-CID investigation into the issue, said Agriculture Minister R Doraikannu in Thanjavur on Monday.

Speaking to the reporters, the minister said that Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami has ordered for a CB-CIB probe into the PMKSNY scam and whoever involved would face action. The funds released to non-farmers would be collected back and they would be credited to the account of the real farmers. The minister assured that the State government would never compromise with anyone on the scam and steps are being initiated to ensure that those involved meet with severe punishment, he said.