Chennai, Sep 9 (IANS): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami on Wednesday blamed the self-registration facility provided under the PM-Kisan (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi) scheme for the Rs 110 crore scam detected in the state.

Speaking to reporters at Tiruvannamalai, Palaniswami stressed that the state government had detected the scam, ordered a probe by the Crime Branch-Crime Investigation Department (CBCID) and legal action will be taken against the culprits.

Palanswami said the self-registration method brought in by the Central government resulted in the scam.

He said the officials got suspicious since a large number of people got benefitted under the scheme and probe was ordered.

Under the PM-Kisan Scheme, small farmers with two hectare or less land are given Rs 6,000 per year as assistance in three equal instalments.

On Tuesday, state Agriculture Secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi said the scam is to the tune of about Rs 110 crore but Rs 32 crore has already been recovered till date.

Bedi also said that over 80 officials have been suspended and 18 persons have been arrested in connection with the scam that occurred in more than 13 districts.

The scamsters - officials and others - had used the computer passwords of officials to feed in wrong data to illegally cash in on the scheme.