The BJP-led state government’s promise of making Assam corruption-free has come under the scanner following rampant allegations of corruption while preparing the beneficiary list for PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, which has allegedly left out genuine farmers.

Agriculture minister Atul Bora on Thursday admitted that some allegations were “not wrong” and attributed it to “oversight” as the beneficiary list was “prepared in a hurry” by officials of the department who were engaged in the NRC update process.

The allegations this week prompted the Opposition Congress to write to CBI to take suo motu cognisance and a farmers’ organisation to lodge a complaint with CID.

Through the scheme, the Centre sends Rs 6,000 to a farmer’s account in three instalments in a year. One of the instalments was given during the lockdown period. According to the government, the Centre deposited Rs 475 crore in the bank accounts of Assam farmers during the lockdown.

Altogether 39 lakh people in Assam are beneficiaries of the scheme although the number of farm families is 27 lakh, according to the 2011 census. According to Bora, the 39-lakh figure cannot be considered wrong as the population has increased and many have taken to farming.

However, there have been numerous reports about names of government employees, panchayat representatives and their relatives getting benefits of the scheme, while actual farmers are being deprived.

Braving the lockdown, farmers have been staging protests in different parts of the state against the alleged anomalies in identifying beneficiaries for the scheme. A protest was held on Thursday at Kaliabor in central Assam’s Nagaon district, where the protesters claimed government employees and more than one member from the same family have received money under the scheme.

“I don’t deny some of these reports. But I have realised from the re-verification process in the past few days that most of them are not correct,” Bora said.

Facing flak, the agriculture department has ordered each district to review the list of beneficiaries. A notice issued recently by the Sivasagar agriculture officer appealed to ineligible beneficiaries in the district to return the money they had received under the scheme and threatened legal action if they did not do so.

Dispur had asked the districts to submit the revised beneficiary lists by March 15. “However, the districts are seeking some more time,” Bora said.

Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia wrote to the CBI on Monday drawing its attention to reports about “gross anomalies in selection of beneficiaries and distribution of ex gratia under the scheme” and requesting suo motu cognisance.

The Krishak Sramik Unnayan Parishad lodged a complaint with the CID on Tuesday seeking “exemplary” punishment to those responsible for “siphoning off” money under the scheme.

It claimed that district agriculture officers, panchayat presidents and members along with legislators of the ruling party are involved in the alleged corruption.