BJP MLA Suresh Dhas has claimed that the state-sponsored crop insurance scheme has been hijacked by an organised gang and called it a Rs5,000 crore scam.
Since the people involved have statewide connections, the authorities should charge them under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999 (MCOCA), the MLA from Ashti (District Beed) has demanded.
“After I started speaking about this scheme, a lot of papers are being sent to me,” he said.
“I am ready to hand over the papers to Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate. The scam should be probed by a special team as it involves a huge racket,” said Dhas who is aggressive on various murder cases emanating from Beed district, including that of Massjog sarpanch Santosh.
Meanwhile, Kokate admitted irregularities in the implementation of the Re1 crop insurance scheme for farmers. Some places of worship were shown as agricultural lands to claim the benefits of the scheme, he said.
More than four lakh crop insurance applications, some even filed by those living outside Maharashtra, have been rejected, Kokate said.
He, however, asserted that no money had been lost as funds were not transferred by the government into the bank accounts linked to bogus applications.
An updated database of farmers is being prepared, the minister said, adding that significant reforms will be introduced in the scheme.
State Congress chief Nana Patole has claimed that insurance for barren land was fraudulently claimed, resulting in irregularities to the tune of Rs 350 crore
