Now, cyber scamsters target PM-KUSUM applicants

Farmers from Karnataka have been reporting that they are receiving calls and WhatsApp messages from people claiming that they are KREDL officials who are forcing them to pay money. 
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There is not a sector that has been left untouched by cybercrime in today’s world. The latest addition to this list is the PM – KUSUM scheme’s Component B under which solar pump sets are provided to farmers. In recent times, many farmers have lost money after people posing to be associated with Karnataka Renewable Energy and Development Limited (KREDL) allegedly took money from them. 

According to KREDL officials, in the last year, farmers have been reporting that they are receiving calls and WhatsApp messages from people claiming that they are KREDL officials and are forcing them to pay money. KREDL has also found that many others have taken to social media sites like Facebook and YouTube and were spreading misinformation about the PM Kusum scheme. In some cases, they also got the farmers to transfer money to them.  

“They create accounts (on messaging and social media sites) with KREDL logo and then they contact farmers and ask for money. Some farmers report to us while some others suddenly deposit money in the accounts they mention,” K.P. Rudrappaiah, Managing Director, KREDL told The Hindu. A farmer from Raichur was a victim in one such case, transferring over ₹5,000 to the scamsters. 

He also said that KREDL has issued advertisements in newspapers and public notices informing farmers that they should not fall for such attempts. The notices also clarify that all applications and payments towards PM – KUSUM scheme, Component B, should only be done on the www.souramitra.com website. They also cautioned that any new announcements regarding the scheme will only be put up on the official KREDL website (www.kredl.karnataka.gov.in). 

PM – KUSUM scheme registrations  

KREDL has been granted around 40,000 solar pumps to be provided to farmers under PM-KUSUM Component B by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). With a focus on regularising unauthorised irrigation pump sets (UNIP), 9,902 auto registrations and 249 self-registrations have been made for the PM-KUSUM scheme. Across five escoms, KREDL’s portal has also received 28,096 fresh registrations for the scheme taking the total number of applications registered to 38,247 as of December 2024. 

Similarly, under the PM Surya Ghar Yojana under which subsidies are provided for installations of Solar Rooftop Photovoltaic (SRTPV) plants, 5.72 lakh applications have been received by the nodal agency Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) as of December 30, 2024.