Rajasthan: The agriculture department has filed an FIR in connection with an alleged crop insurance fraud under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). The case involves fake farmers and forged land records at the Salasar branch of State Bank of India (SBI).
First understand this PMFBY Scheme
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) is a government crop insurance scheme launched by the Government of India in 2016 to protect farmers from financial losses due to crop failure. Under this scheme, farmers pay a small premium amount, and the remaining premium is shared by the central and state governments.
If crops are damaged due to natural calamities like drought, flood, cyclone, heavy rain, pests, or diseases, farmers receive insurance compensation. The main aim of PMFBY is to provide financial support to farmers, ensure stable income in agriculture, and encourage them to continue farming without fear of heavy losses.
Case Background
State agriculture minister Kirori Lal Meena visited the branch of SBI and exposed the alleged scam. Following this, the agriculture department has registered a case at Salasar police station.
According to the FIR, 71 individuals were falsely shown as farmers. Fake land records and crop details were allegedly used to obtain crop insurance benefits under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).
The FIR was filed by Assistant Director (Agriculture Extension) Govind Singh Rathore after preliminary investigation revealed serious irregularities.
The FIR names Salasar SBI branch manager Umesh Kumar Saraswat and bank employee Bhagirath Nayak. They are accused of issuing fake crop insurance policies in collusion with representatives of Agriculture Insurance Company of India Limited.
The complaint states that the accused allegedly insured non-existent agricultural land to claim insurance money fraudulently.
Fake Land Records and Non-Existent Survey Numbers
The insurance policies were reportedly issued in the names of 71 farmers from Bajju Tejpura Patwar Mandal and Bajju Khalsa village in Gajner tehsil of Bikaner district.
However, verification by revenue officials found that the survey numbers, khasra details, and land records mentioned in the policies did not exist in government records.
Despite these discrepancies:
- Around Rs 13.51 lakh was deposited as insurance premium in the names of the fake farmers.
- About Rs 15.76 lakh was shown as contribution from the state and central governments.
- The total projected insurance claim in the alleged scam was nearly Rs 9 crore.
Case Registered Under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
Police have registered the case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy.
Authorities have started a detailed investigation into the financial transactions and the attempted fraudulent insurance claims.
The probe is ongoing, and further action is expected based on the findings.
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