Rajasthan Agriculture Minister Kirodi Lal Meena uncovered a significant fraud involving crores of rupees in the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana at the State Bank of India’s Salasar branch. Acting on complaints of irregularities, the Minister, accompanied by departmental and insurance officials, visited the bank early morning and directed the filing of an FIR against the perpetrators. Investigations revealed that 71 fake farmers were fraudulently enrolled with forged documents, falsely shown as farmers in Bikaner district’s Gajner tehsil with non-existent land and mustard crops.
Using these falsified details, crop insurance policies were issued, and a fraudulent claim of Rs 9 crore was processed. No agricultural land was found registered in the names of these individuals. Premiums worth approximately Rs 51 lakh were paid, with contributions from both the state and Central governments. Minister Meena highlighted that nearly Rs 1,150 crore in fake claims were made by around 15,000 landless individuals across the state. This organized scam, involving bank staff, insurance agents, and intermediaries, has reportedly been ongoing for years.
The Minister emphasized that stringent legal actions will be taken against the guilty bank officials, insurance company personnel, and middlemen involved. He mentioned that FIRs will be filed, independent agencies will investigate the case, and the concerned insurance company may face blacklisting. Protecting the interests of farmers remains the top priority for the state government, and Minister Meena warned that those cheating farmers will face consequences.
