Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate, on Tuesday, alleged irregularities in the ₹1 crop insurance scheme for farmers, introduced in 2023. He claimed the state government had received approximately four lakh fraudulent applications under the scheme.

Kokate stated that these applications were submitted during the 2023-24 period when Dhananjay Munde served as the Agriculture Minister. Among the most alarming discoveries was the misrepresentation of places of worship, including temples and mosques, as agricultural land to claim insurance benefits. Kokate confirmed that these fake applications had been rejected.

The scheme, aimed at providing affordable insurance to farmers by reducing the premium to just one rupee, was launched by the then Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis.

However, its implementation has come under scrutiny following the rejection of over four lakh crop insurance applications due to discrepancies. These irregularities included submissions from individuals residing outside Maharashtra.

The agriculture minister emphasised that no financial losses were incurred, as the government had not transferred funds to the bank accounts associated with the fraudulent claims. He explained, “Investigations revealed that some Common Service Centres (CSCs), which were tasked with data entry and paid Rs 40 per application, were significantly involved in filing bogus claims to increase their earnings. Action has been taken against 96 such centres.”

Kokate also announced plans to enhance transparency by issuing unique ID cards for farmers linked to Aadhaar and developing an updated database. He assured that the scheme would not be discontinued, stating, “The detection of corruption does not mean the scheme should be shut down. The flaws will be corrected to make the scheme more transparent.”

The revelations have drawn criticism from opposition leaders. Congress Chief Nana Patole accused the government and insurance companies of colluding in a scam involving insurance claims for barren lands, alleging a misappropriation of ₹350 crore.

Kokate added that district collectors had been instructed to take immediate action. He concluded, “The matter will also be discussed in the state cabinet.”

Source - https://www.cnbctv18.com