Maharashtra Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar alleged large-scale irregularities in implementing the crop insurance scheme in Beed district during the tenure of former State Agriculture Minister Dhananjay Munde. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
Senior Maharashtra Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Tuesday (January 21, 2025) alleged large-scale irregularities in the implementation of the crop insurance scheme in Beed district during the tenure of former State Agriculture Minister Dhananjay Munde of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Mr. Wadettiwar has demanded the formation of a special committee to transparently evaluate decisions surrounding the Beed crop insurance model, which he described as a “corruption-planned” initiative.
Mr. Munde, who served as Agriculture Minister in the previous Eknath Shinde-led government from July 2022 to December 2024, is now the Minister for Food and Civil Supplies in the present Devendra Fadnavis-led administration.
Bogus claims
“The Beed pattern is not about helping farmers. It was planned with corruption in mind,” Mr. Wadettiwar said. He accused the State government of failing to ensure that the benefits of the scheme reach deserving farmers, instead allowing widespread malpractice.
According to him, out of 4 lakh bogus insurance claims filed in 2024, only 1.09 lakh were addressed. “Tomorrow, farmers will be blamed for these bogus claims, but what about those who profited massively from this corruption?” he asked.
The Beed model is a unique component of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), wherein insurance companies cover 110% of the premium collected. If compensation exceeds this amount, the State government pays the difference.
‘Designed to siphon money’
Mr. Wadettiwar alleged that under this scheme, ₹105 crore was transferred to bogus accounts after shutting down the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme. He also claimed that 150 to 200 farmers’ names were fraudulently added to fake claims under the direction of Mr. Munde’s team. “The Minister himself has been named in these irregularities,” he asserted.
Calling for immediate intervention from Mr. Fadnavis, the Congress leader urged steps to halt corruption in the Beed crop insurance model. “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 accused the State government of shielding corrupt leaders. “If the Agriculture Minister has such authority, why was the DBT scheme replaced, and why is he not held accountable?” Mr. Wadettiwar asked.
Voters’ Day protest
Meanwhile, the Congress plans to hold Statewide protests on January 25, National Voters’ Day, to raise awareness about the protection of democracy and voters’ rights, said the party’s State chief Nana Patole. He criticised the Election Commission for conducting polls in a manner that has raised questions about its credibility, alleging that the BJP and the Commission colluded to undermine democracy by manipulating votes during the State’s Assembly election.
Mr. Patole highlighted discrepancies, such as a sudden increase of 5 million voters within six months of the Lok Sabha elections, and an unexpected surge of 7.6 million votes after 5 p.m. on election day. Despite the Congress party’s requests, the Election Commission has yet to provide explanations for these anomalies, he said.
Published – January 21, 2025 08:58 pm IST