In a major crackdown on corruption, the district administration in Jalna has suspended at least 21 officials from the revenue department over alleged siphoning off of funds amounting to Rs 42 crore that was intended as crop loss compensation for affected farmers. The district administration has also announced to expand the scope of inquiry across multiple talukas of Jalna and seven other districts of Marathwada.

The scam came to light after complaints of irregularities by some farmers from two tehsil in Jalna — Ambad and Ghansawangi — in the distribution of compensation. A district-level committee was formed in January this year by Jalna Collector Shrikrishna Panchal to probe compensation disbursal in Ambad and Ghansawangi tehsils.

The state government had allocated Rs 450 crore since 2022 to Jalna for post-disaster agricultural relief. A portion of it — Rs 79 crore — was flagged as suspicious with allegations of gross discrepancies in beneficiary records and fund allocation in an interim audit report of the committee, Panchal said.

“On closer scrutiny, so far we found Rs 42 crore was misappropriated through fraudulent claims. So far, we have suspended 21 officials, including 17 talathis and five clerical staff. Departmental inquiries have been also initiated against 35 talathis and we have issued showcause notices to five tehsildars,” Panchal told The Indian Express, adding that a report will be submitted to the government for further action against these officials.

Of the embezzled amount, Panchal said Rs 7 crore has been recovered so far. He also said an inquiry in other talukas was underway and its report was expected soon.

According to senior officials familiar with the investigation, the fraud followed a consistent modus operandi. Compensation was claimed in the names of bogus farmers, often for government-owned or uncultivated land. In several cases, officials exaggerated the size of farm holdings to inflate payouts. Duplicate claims and altered land records were also used to maximise the fraudulent gains.

“This was not a clerical error. It was a systematic misuse of the scheme. In some instances, officials filed claims on land where no crop was ever planted,” said a senior district official.

The extent of involvement of officials is also striking. As per the audit report’s current findings, at least 10 officials allegedly embezzled between ₹1 crore and ₹1.9 crore each, while several others misappropriated between Rs 25 lakh and Rs 50 lakh.

Farmers’ groups are now calling for broader accountability, pointing out that gram sevaks and agricultural assistants, who are central to verifying land and crop loss data, have so far not faced disciplinary action.

Panchal said all those involved in the scheme, including gram sevaks and krishi sahayyaks, are under scrutiny, and appropriate action will be taken based on the final audit.

As the probe continues and audits are extended to the remaining talukas, district officials are working to identify authentic beneficiaries using a combination of land records, satellite imagery, and bank account verification.

What began as a local grievance in two tehsils has now widened into what may become one of Maharashtra’s most significant post-disaster relief scams in recent years.

In a new directive issued by the Divisional Commissioner, Aurangabad, revenue officials across eight districts of Marathwada have been ordered to conduct a five-year retrospective audit of all compensation distributed to farmers under natural calamity relief schemes. The directive mandates verification of whether: Compensation was given to ineligible persons, including non-farmers or those showing crops on government or uncultivable land, individuals received more than one installment of aid irregularly and whether aid was transferred to unintended beneficiaries, or fraudulently credited to wrong accounts.

Officials have been asked to use village-level records to verify the authenticity of names and claims. “A detailed, self-certified report must be submitted within 15 days, identifying irregularities and explaining how government-approved compensation reached unintended recipients,” the order signed by Divisional Commissioner, Aurangabad, dated June 11, stated.

Where inquiries are undrway, resident Additional Collectors of respective districts have been appointed as nodal officers to coordinate all follow-up actions and disciplinary measures.

Source - https://indianexpress.com