Palaniswami also launched a dedicated portal of the state Health and Family Welfare Department to help eye donors. (File)
The Tamil Nadu government has discovered a scam amounting to over Rs 110 crore in the PM-Kisan Scheme, with money withdrawn fraudulently online with the help of government officials and local-level politicians. Initial estimates show nearly five-and-a-half lakh people may have benefited as advantage was taken of clearance norms being relaxed after the Covid-19 lockdown began.
READ | PM-Kisan norms eased for Covid, TN probes Rs 110 crore fraud, 18 held
Principal Secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi said they first noticed the unusually high number of beneficiaries being added to the scheme in August, especially from 13 districts. While 18 people, all agents or brokers, have been arrested, 80-odd officials associated with agricultural schemes have been dismissed and 34 officials suspended, Bedi said. The suspended officials include three assistant directors of the Agriculture Department.
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Of the Rs 110 crore-plus siphoned off, Rs 32 crore has been retrieved, mostly from bank accounts directly. The government said they expected to retrieve the remaining amount too, within 40 days.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Monday pledged to donate his eyes, the government said. He also launched a dedicated portal of the state Health and Family Welfare Department to help eye donors.
Chief minister Edapadi K Palaniswami pledged to donate his eyes and was presented with the certificate (for this purpose) by Principal Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan, an official release here said.
READ | TN CM Palaniswami pledges to donate eyes
He also launched the website http://www.hmis.tn.gov.in/eye- donor, which would be helpful to people interested in eye donation.
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