Maharashtra: State-run insurer launches probe after 180 people enrol for crop insurance on industrial, non-agri land in Beed

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The Agricultural Insurance Company of India has started an investigation into alleged irregularities wherein nearly 180 people enrolled for crop insurance on industrial land in Maharashtra's Beed city and some farmers secured cover for crops on non-agriculture land, officials said.

An AIC official in the district said they had brought to the notice of Collector Deepa Mudhol Munde that some people enrolled for additional crop insurance in parts of the district.

"We know farmers have limited land these days. But some farmers enrolled for crop insurance on more than 100 hectares of land. Some people enrolled for crop insurance on MIDC, non-existent and non-agricultural land. We don't know if these people are real farmers or other persons. Our investigation is on," the official said.

After the alleged irregularities came to light, ground truthing (collection of information on location) was ordered on the basis of remote sensing.

An inspection conducted by the insurance company over a period of 15 days revealed that some farmers took additional crop insurance for financial gains, the official said.

As many as 180 people have taken crop insurance for 188 hectares by showing fields in the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) area of Beed city, as per documents available with the AIC and agriculture department.

Some people operating the Common Service Centres (CSC) filled up the crop insurance forms for farmers online, the official said.

"According to our primary investigation, we suspect that the CSC operators and some other people were involved in the irregularities of enrolment for crop insurance. A CSC operator in Parbhani district has enrolled a farmer from Beed for crop insurance," he said.

Three farmers from a village in Ambajogai taluka in Beed district have enrolled for crop insurance on non-agricultural land, as per the documents.

One of them has enrolled for insurance of soyabean crop on 458 hectares, another one has insured crops on 212 hectares and the third farmer on 1,130 hectares of land, according to the documents.

These three farmers have now approached the taluka agriculture officer seeking cancellation of their crop insurance, saying the application was filled due to their negligence.

A doctor from Ashti taluka in Beed and his brother enrolled for insurance for soyabean and tur crops on 988 acres of land, according to the documents.

When AIC officials asked them about it, they said they did not enrol for any additional crop insurance and that they have only 11 acres of land.

Besides, two farmers from Jedhewadi and Morjalwadi villages had enrolled for crops on 90 hectares land. However, during an investigation, it was found that their land was not registered in revenue records, as per the documents.

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