Guwahati: RTI activist Dilip Nath has raised serious allegations of large-scale corruption in the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) – Har Kheti Ko Pani scheme in Assam.
Speaking out as a concerned citizen, Nath claimed that the very programme designed to support farmers with assured irrigation has been derailed by irregularities, manipulation, and misuse of public funds.
In a detailed letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Nath said he felt compelled to bring the issue to the nation’s highest office.
He wrote that while the country has always placed agriculture at the heart of development, the intended beneficiaries in Assam—farmers who depend on reliable irrigation—have been left behind due to alleged corruption within the state’s Irrigation Department.
Nath highlighted that under the PM-KISAN initiative, the Centre recently sanctioned Rs. 422 crore for more than 20 lakh farmers in Assam, of which RS. 363 crore has already been released as part of the 21st national instalment.
He said such substantial support from the Central government underscores the importance of the scheme—and makes the alleged misuse of funds even more distressing for farmers.
According to Nath, the scheme’s core component—installation and maintenance of solar and electric tubewells—has been severely compromised.
He alleges that officials of the Irrigation Department, in collusion with private contractors, have falsified land records, misused beneficiary data, and siphoned off funds meant for genuine farmers.
Many farmers, he said, have not received any functional irrigation facilities, despite claims on paper that the systems were operational.
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He further stated that contractors assigned to maintain these tubewells submitted reports on January 15, 2025, claiming the units were non-functional for the years 2019–2020, 2020–2021, and up to December 31, 2024—a revelation Nath describes as clear evidence of gross mismanagement.
He asserts that he has obtained documentary proof, RTI records, and videographic evidence to support these claims.
Calling the situation “saddening and alarming,” Nath urged the Prime Minister to initiate a full-fledged inquiry and set up a legally empowered commission to investigate what he describes as “gross irregularities and illegalities” in the scheme’s implementation in Assam.
For thousands of farmers who depend on government support to cultivate their land, Nath’s allegations bring into sharp focus a deeper question: are the lifelines meant for them truly reaching the fields where they are needed most?
