Rajasthan Agriculture Minister Dr Kirodi Lal Meena revealed in the Assembly that there have been serious irregularities by insurance companies under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) in various districts of the state. He assured that the Special Operations Group (SOG) would investigate these fraud cases. Some farmers are awaiting insurance claim payments due to issues like unverified bank accounts, Aadhaar discrepancies, and failed NEFT transactions. District Collectors have been directed to expedite the verification process for these accounts and necessary documents.
The Minister assured that payments will be made promptly once all formalities are completed. The government has already disbursed Rs 6,328 crore as crop insurance claims for the Rabi and Kharif seasons, with Rs 188 crore pending from the previous administration. During Question Hour, the Minister responded to queries raised by MLA Babu Singh Rathore.
Instances of fraud by banks and insurance companies have been uncovered under PMFBY, leading to farmers not receiving compensation for crop losses. In a specific case in Karanpur, Sri Ganganagar district, it was discovered that a surveyor had falsified signatures on the intimation form, causing losses of around Rs 128 crore for farmers. An FIR has been lodged, and investigations are ongoing.
Efforts are underway to secure Rs 122 crore in payments for affected farmers through the State Level Grievance Redressal Committee (SGRC). The Minister also highlighted another fraud case in Salasar, where fake bank accounts were opened in farmers’ names using counterfeit documents, potentially resulting in wrongful payments of Rs 9 crore by the governments. Similar irregularities have been reported in various other districts, including underreported crop damage cases in the Shergarh Assembly constituency.
