Bhavantar Yojana Scam: Bajra sowing shown in excess by over 2K acres

Tribune News Service

Deepender Deswal

Hisar, September 18

Farmers at Dariyapur village of Bhiwani district had sown bajra on 1,097 acres during the 2022 kharif season, as per the Revenue Department. Strangely, the Meri Fasal Mera Byora (MFMB) portal has registered 3,343 acres under the crop in the village.

The registration of 2,246 acres in excess to the actual area under bajra was purportedly done to fraudulently claim compensation under the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana (BBY).

Though the Bhiwani police registered a case against 185 persons on the complaint of the CM’s flying squad in May this year, the police could not make any headway in the case due to the non-availability of records by the Agriculture Department.

“I had sent several reminders to the department, but did not get the records. The police can make arrests and start recovery proceedings only after following the due process,” said investigation officer Prem Kumar.

Pegging the fraud at over Rs 1 crore at Dariyapur village alone, Dr Ram Kanwar, agriculture expert, claimed that the scamsters had falsely claimed relief under the BBY.

The government provides about Rs 5,000 per acre as compensation under the BBY.

Similarly, at Miran village, girdawari records show that bajra was sown in 902 acres, but the MFMB portal showed bajra registration of 1,923 acres. He said fake registration had also been detected in a large numbers in Bhiwani, Jhajjar, Palwal, Rewari and Mahendragarh districts, which were being investigated by the flying squad. He suspected the scam to be running over Rs 100 crore.

Rs 390 crore relief paid under scheme last year

• The government had paid a relief of Rs 390 crore to 2,76,620 farmers in 2022, while Rs 439 crore was paid to 2,42,518 farmers in 2021 under the BBY for bajra
• Mahendragarh is at the top of the beneficiary list. A sum of Rs 91.7 crore was paid to 67,002 farmers in 2022 and about Rs 100 crore to 56,075 farmers in 2021
• The government provides BBY relief after completion of the procurement of kharif season. Kharif procurement is yet to start

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