Summary:
TRICHY: With the Tamil Nadu government kick-starting the process of identifying beneficiaries for income support scheme, those running photocopy centres, petty shops and even some grocery stores in Lalgudi area have started selling application forms at 10 each without the knowledge of the revenue department. The ultimate loser would be the farmers, the Trichy district secretary of Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam affiliated to CPI, Ayilai Sivasuriyan said.Union finance minister Piyush Goyal had announced in the interim budget that each eligible farmer would get 6,000 per annum as per the scheme and it is expected that 74 lakh farmers in Tamil Nadu may be covered under it. So, no one should be allowed to sell any application,” state spokesperson of Bharathiya Kisan Sangam N Veerasekaran said.During the process of identifying genuine beneficiaries, everything should be done by the revenue department personnel without involving any agent or agency. Otherwise, it will definitely lead to irregularities and end with corruption. Terming that it is against government norms, farmers have urged officials to stop such sale to ensure that the application is available only with the revenue department to avert any irregularity.“Since it is a populist scheme, each step should be taken with care, so that irregularities or fraudulent activities which would ultimately affect the gullible farming community, are averted..