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Indian Express
14 hours ago
- Indian Express
Jalna crop relief scam: 21 govt officials suspended over 'misappropriation' of Rs 42 crore meant for farmers who suffered crop loss
In a major crackdown on corruption, the district administration in Jalna has suspended at least 21 officials from the revenue department over alleged siphoning off of funds amounting to Rs 42 crore that was intended as crop loss compensation for affected farmers. The district administration has also announced to expand the scope of inquiry across multiple talukas of Jalna and seven other districts of Marathwada. The scam came to light after complaints of irregularities by some farmers from two tehsil in Jalna — Ambad and Ghansawangi — in the distribution of compensation. A district-level committee was formed in January this year by Jalna Collector Shrikrishna Panchal to probe compensation disbursal in Ambad and Ghansawangi tehsils. The state government had allocated Rs 450 crore since 2022 to Jalna for post-disaster agricultural relief. A portion of it — Rs 79 crore — was flagged as suspicious with allegations of gross discrepancies in beneficiary records and fund allocation in an interim audit report of the committee, Panchal said. 'On closer scrutiny, so far we found Rs 42 crore was misappropriated through fraudulent claims. So far, we have suspended 21 officials, including 17 talathis and five clerical staff. Departmental inquiries have been also initiated against 35 talathis and we have issued showcause notices to five tehsildars,' Panchal told The Indian Express, adding that a report will be submitted to the government for further action against these officials. Of the embezzled amount, Panchal said Rs 7 crore has been recovered so far. He also said an inquiry in other talukas was underway and its report was expected soon. According to senior officials familiar with the investigation, the fraud followed a consistent modus operandi. Compensation was claimed in the names of bogus farmers, often for government-owned or uncultivated land. In several cases, officials exaggerated the size of farm holdings to inflate payouts. Duplicate claims and altered land records were also used to maximise the fraudulent gains. 'This was not a clerical error. It was a systematic misuse of the scheme. In some instances, officials filed claims on land where no crop was ever planted,' said a senior district official. The extent of involvement of officials is also striking. As per the audit report's current findings, at least 10 officials allegedly embezzled between ₹1 crore and ₹1.9 crore each, while several others misappropriated between Rs 25 lakh and Rs 50 lakh. Farmers' groups are now calling for broader accountability, pointing out that gram sevaks and agricultural assistants, who are central to verifying land and crop loss data, have so far not faced disciplinary action. Panchal said all those involved in the scheme, including gram sevaks and krishi sahayyaks, are under scrutiny, and appropriate action will be taken based on the final audit. As the probe continues and audits are extended to the remaining talukas, district officials are working to identify authentic beneficiaries using a combination of land records, satellite imagery, and bank account verification. What began as a local grievance in two tehsils has now widened into what may become one of Maharashtra's most significant post-disaster relief scams in recent years. In a new directive issued by the Divisional Commissioner, Aurangabad, revenue officials across eight districts of Marathwada have been ordered to conduct a five-year retrospective audit of all compensation distributed to farmers under natural calamity relief schemes. The directive mandates verification of whether: Compensation was given to ineligible persons, including non-farmers or those showing crops on government or uncultivable land, individuals received more than one installment of aid irregularly and whether aid was transferred to unintended beneficiaries, or fraudulently credited to wrong accounts. Officials have been asked to use village-level records to verify the authenticity of names and claims. 'A detailed, self-certified report must be submitted within 15 days, identifying irregularities and explaining how government-approved compensation reached unintended recipients,' the order signed by Divisional Commissioner, Aurangabad, dated June 11, stated. Where inquiries are undrway, resident Additional Collectors of respective districts have been appointed as nodal officers to coordinate all follow-up actions and disciplinary measures.
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Jalna crop aid scam: 21 officials suspended so far, 89 found guilty in inquiry
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Eighty-nine 89 govt employees have been found guilty in the ongoing collector-appointed committee inquiry into the crop compensation scam in Jalna district that involved the misappropriation of around Rs 40 crore in aid sanctioned for farmers between 2022 and 2024. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The accused include talathis, gram sevaks and agricultural assistants. District collector Shrikrishna Panchal has so far suspended 21 officials in connection with the scam. Last week, 10 talathis were suspended. On Thursday, action was taken against 11 more officials, including seven talathis and four assistant revenue staff. Those privy to the ongoing inquiry maintained that there was misuse of login credentials originally given to the revenue staffers for accessing the system. The inquiry, initiated after complaints from farmers, revealed that aid was granted by showing bogus claims, duplicating beneficiary names and issuing compensation to those without land ownership. The collector-appointed committee submitted its report confirming the financial misappropriation. Departmental inquiries have also been initiated against 35 more talathis. The inquiry report has recommended action against five tehsildars and six naib tehsildars. Their written explanations have been sought and the matter has been referred to state govt. Panchal confirmed that action was taken against officials who failed to give satisfactory replies to the explanation notices. The inquiry into other employees is still underway. He said once the inquiry was completed, the district administration was likely to register FIRs against those found guilty of usurping aid meant for compensating the crop losses resulting from natural calamities. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Former minister and BJP MLA Babanrao Lonikar has alleged that the scam was pegged at over Rs 100 crore and demanded immediate registration of FIRs against all govt officials. "I have raised this issue with CM Devendra Fadnavis. I am also going to take it up during the assembly session. The district administration should first push for FIRs against all the accused involved in the scam," Lonikar said. The MLA has demanded that there should not be any further delay in the FIRs against all the accused.
Time of India
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
10 talathis suspended in Jalna farmer compensation scam, FIR likely
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The Jalna district administration suspended 10 talathis on Friday for their alleged involvement in misappropriating Rs 34.97 crore of crop compensation meant for farmers. This action follows the findings of a govt-appointed probe committee that identified significant irregularities in how the aid was distributed. Jalna district collector Shrikrishna Panchal verified the suspensions and said additional disciplinary actions are in progress. "Showcause notices were earlier issued to all the officials named in the report. Based on their replies and the severity of charges, we have suspended 10 talathis so far," he said. Sources said authorities are considering filing police complaints against the guilty parties. A senior official told TOI: "Departmental action has already started, and the possibility of criminal proceedings, including an FIR, is being discussed at a senior level." The irregularities came to light during an audit of Rs 79 crore disbursed as crop loss compensation for damage caused by excessive rainfall, floods, and hailstorms in 2022, 2023, and 2024. This amount was part of a larger Rs 450crore compensation package for the Jalna district. The investigation discovered claims were made even on govt-owned class-II lands. The investigation revealed that Rs 34.97 crore, from the Rs 79 crore allotment, was misappropriated through fraudulent inclusion of ineligible beneficiaries. The deception involved the manipulation of beneficiary records from Ambad and Ghansawangi talukas, affecting 1.79 lakh farmer accounts. The investigation extends to gram sevaks and agricultural assistants, with departmental proceedings anticipated. Officials continue to examine the remaining Rs 7 crore from the audited amount, assuring that legitimate farmers will not suffer due to these corrective measures. BJP MLA Narayan Kuche and former minister Babanrao Lonikar want FIRs to be filed against govt officials at all levels for allegedly diverting funds intended for farmers. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Time of India
05-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Over Rs 56 crore disbursed in compensation to ineligible farmers in Jalna, collector submits interim inquiry report to govt
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: An initial investigation by the Jalna district administration has uncovered significant irregularities in govt compensation distribution to farmers affected by natural disasters. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The interim report, submitted by district collector Shrikrishna Panchal to state govt, reveals duplicate payments, fraudulent beneficiaries, and inaccurate land record representations under various govt resolutions between Nov 2022 and Feb 2024. The estimated misappropriation of farmers' compensation funds amounts to Rs 56 crore. Collector Panchal said, "We initiated the inquiry on Jan 28, 2025, after receiving random complaints regarding compensation irregularities. We formed a three-member committee to conduct the probe across the district. The committee comprises the Ambad sub-divisional officer, deputy collector (rehabilitation), and a naib tehsildar." Following BJP Badnapur MLA Narayan Kuche's complaint to the chief minister in April 2025, the chief minister's office (CMO) requested a comprehensive report from the district administration. According to the interim report submitted on April 17, 2025, the investigation examined compensation distributed to farmers across 125 villages in Ambad taluka and 36 villages in Ghansawangi taluka under govt resolutions dated Nov 17, 2022, June 20, 2023, Feb 29, 2024 (Ambad), and Nov 17, 2022, June 20, 2023, Jan 31, 2024, in Ghansawangi. The verification process covered 26,645 beneficiaries, revealing numerous fraudulent entries. A team of four revenue assistants and 15 newly appointed gram revenue officers conducted comparisons between the e-Panchnama Payment Disbursement Portal and land ownership records. They implemented a colour-coding system: Yellow indicated names absent from land records, orange showed excess land claims, red highlighted govt land, and blue marked duplicate entries. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The report excludes instances of dry land falsely registered as orchard land, pending verification. Changes in beneficiary data after Jan 1, 2025, await inclusion, and updated figures will follow tehsildar re-verification. The Ghansawangi tehsildar has not responded to clarification requests made on March 3 and April 16, 2025. Investigations continue in 13 villages of Ambad and 81 villages of Ghansawangi talukas. The district administration established a five-member expert committee on April 11, 2025, led by the collector, including the district council CEO, additional district collector, superintendent agriculture officer, and resident deputy collector. The administration has also intensified fund recovery efforts, collecting approximately ₹5 crore from ineligible beneficiaries. Officials receive weekly directives to accelerate the recovery process. For distributions after Sept 2024 under two govt resolutions, ₹448.3 crore was allocated to 2,81,532 beneficiaries. The administration confirms implementing safeguards against similar irregularities. The state government awaits the final report upon investigation's completion. Box: Irregularities identified by the committee: 1 Duplicate entries of the same beneficiary receiving aid more than once. 2 Compensation transferred to people who do not own agricultural land. 3 Discrepancies where the beneficiary's name on the portal did not match land ownership records (8-A extracts). 4 Granting of orchard crop compensation to claimants with only dry or minimal irrigated land 5 Entries showing agricultural land on govt plots. 6 Inflated land areas used to claim higher compensation.
