21 January,2025 04:30 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Vijay Wadettiwar. File Pic
Maharashtra Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Tuesday alleged irregularities in the implementation of a crop insurance scheme in Beed district of Maharashtra under the watch of former state agriculture minister Dhananjay Munde of Nationlist Congress Party (NCP), reported the PTI.
The Congress leader demanded that a special committee be formed and the decisions surrounding the Beed crop insurance model evaluated transparently.
Dhananjay Munde served as the agriculture minister in the previous Eknath Shinde government from July 2022 to December 2024.
He currently heads the Food and Civil Supplies ministry in the Devendra Fadnavis-led state government.
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"The Beed pattern is not about helping farmers. It was planned with corruption in mind," Vijay Wadettiwar alleged in a statement, as per the PTI.
He accused the state government of shirking its responsibility under the crop insurance scheme and depriving agriculturists of their rightful benefits.
"Out of the 4 lakh bogus insurance claims filed in 2024, only 1.09 lakh have been addressed. Tomorrow, farmers will be blamed for these bogus claims, but what about those who have profited massively from this corruption?" Vijay Wadettiwar questioned, as per the PTI.
The Beed model of crop insurance is a component of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). Under this model, the insurance company covers 110 per cent of the premium collected. If the compensation amount is more than 110 per cent, the state government pays the difference.
"Under this (crop insurance) plan, Rs 105 crore was transferred to bogus accounts after shutting down the DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) scheme. Further, Dhananjay Munde's team has added the names of 150-200 farmers to fake claims. The minister himself has been named in these irregularities," Wadettiwar alleged, according to the PTI.
He sought immediate intervention from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to "stop corruption" in the Beed crop insurance pattern.
"The Beed pattern is not a farmer-friendly initiative but a project designed to siphon off money. This corruption cannot happen without the minister's direct involvement," he alleged.
He alleged that corrupt leaders are being shielded by the state government.
"If the agriculture minister has such authority, why was the DBT scheme replaced, and why is he not held accountable?" Wadettiwar asked.
(with PTI inputs)
