Maharashtra Agriculture Commissionerate Uncovers Onion Insurance Scam

The Maharashtra Agriculture Commissionerate has alerted eight district collectors about discrepancies in onion crop insurance claims. The insured area was found to be significantly larger than the actual cultivated area, potentially indicating fraudulent claims. Officials have been directed to verify the claims and take action against false applicants.

In a significant development, the Maharashtra Agriculture Commissionerate has raised concerns about potential fraud in the insurance claims for onion crops across eight districts.

A letter, authored by Agriculture Director Vinaykumar Awate, has been sent to the district collectors and superintending agriculture officers in Nashik, Dhule, Ahmednagar, Pune, Solapur, Satara, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Beed. The letter highlights a stark discrepancy between the insured and actual cultivated areas.

According to the Commissionerate, onion crops were planted over 75,312 hectares in these districts. However, insurance applications claim a staggering 2,63,136 hectares, a 349 percent difference. District officials have been instructed to obtain verification reports from villages through insurance company employees and take action against those who have filed false applications.

(With inputs from agencies.)