Massive Rejection of Crop Insurance Applications in Maharashtra Due to Irregularities

Over 4.30 lakh crop insurance applications were rejected during Kharif 2024 in Maharashtra due to irregularities such as insurance on government and municipal land. The government assured no financial loss since no premiums were paid. Beed district was identified as a hotspot for fraudulent activities.

In a startling revelation, more than 4.30 lakh crop insurance applications were rejected in Maharashtra during the Kharif 2024 season due to various irregularities. This information was disclosed in the legislative council meeting held on Monday.

State Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate attributed the bulk of these rejections to discrepancies involving insurance claims on government-owned and municipal land, as well as landholdings that surpass actual acreage owned, and non-eligible crop types.

The minister emphasized that no financial loss had occurred to the government, as no premiums were paid on these invalid claims. It was noted that fraudulent practices, particularly geo-tagging of non-agricultural land as agricultural, were rampant in Beed district. Licenses of 11 Common Service Centre operators were revoked across the state, totaling 21 operators penalized. Despite these setbacks, about 15 lakh farmers applied for the scheme in 2024, covering 113 lakh hectares.