A 65-year-old farmer from Maharashtra’s Bhandara district was left stunned after receiving an SMS stating that she had received just one paisa under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme instead of the regular Rs 2,000 instalment meant to support farmers during the kharif sowing season.
The beneficiary, Lakshmibai Girepunje, a resident of Jevanala village, and her family were relying on the financial assistance to purchase seeds and fertilisers for the ongoing cultivation season.
Her son, Khemraj Girepunje, said the family was taken aback when the message showed that only Rs 0.01 had been credited to his mother’s account.
“We were waiting for the Rs 2,000 instalment to buy agricultural inputs for kharif farming. The SMS showing one paisa instead of the expected amount came as a complete shock,” he said. The incident quickly gained attention on social media, raising concerns over the implementation of the Centre’s flagship farmer welfare scheme. However, the Agriculture Department later clarified that the issue was limited to the SMS notification and not the actual payment.
Bhandara District Agriculture Officer Sangita Mane said the beneficiary had received the full Rs 2,000 in her bank account. She explained that the message showing a credit of one paisa was generated due to a technical glitch in the SMS system, while official records confirmed that the correct amount had been successfully transferred.
The clarification brought relief to the family and reassured other beneficiaries that the PM-Kisan payment system was functioning normally. The episode, however, highlighted how a minor technical error can create confusion among farmers who depend on timely government assistance for agricultural activities.
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