Rajasthan crop insurance scam: ₹9 crore PMFBY fraud busted in Hanumangarh
Synopsis
A ₹9 crore crop insurance scam under the PMFBY has been busted in Rajasthan's Hanumangarh district after Agriculture Minister Kirodi Lal Meena personally intervened to stop the payout. The alleged fraud involved 162 fake farmers — many with no land records — whose accounts were used to siphon government premiums, with suspected links to earlier scams in Salasar and Bikaner.
Key Takeaways
Agriculture Minister Kirodi Lal Meena halted ₹9 crore in allegedly fraudulent PMFBY crop insurance claims in Hanumangarh, Rajasthan on 7 May 2025 .
162 individuals allegedly opened savings accounts posing as farmers, with premiums deducted from both state and central government contributions.
Revenue records and Patwari reports confirmed that many beneficiaries had no agricultural land registered in their names.
The alleged operation reportedly ran since July 2024 ; the minister alleged collusion among bank employees, insurance companies , and an organised network.
A formal complaint for an FIR has been lodged with Pallu Police Station ; accounts are being frozen.
The case has been linked to earlier PMFBY irregularities in Salasar and Bikaner , including ₹6 crore in alleged groundnut crop fraud.
A major alleged fraud under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) has surfaced in Hanumangarh district, Rajasthan, with authorities claiming that insurance claims worth nearly ₹9 crore were on the verge of being illegally disbursed before Agriculture Minister Kirodi Lal Meena intervened to halt the process on 7 May 2025. The alleged scam, reportedly running since July 2024, has triggered panic within the local banking system and prompted steps to freeze the accounts of 162 individuals under investigation.
What the Minister Found
Agriculture Minister Kirodi Lal Meena visited the State Bank of India (SBI) branch in Pallu, Hanumangarh, on Thursday to probe irregularities linked to the crop insurance scheme. He directed Branch Manager Ankush Miglani to produce the Girdawari (crop inspection records) allegedly uploaded for 162 insured farmers. The manager, however, informed the minister that the records were unavailable at the branch.
When questioned over the large-scale discrepancies, Miglani reportedly failed to provide satisfactory answers, leading to a heated exchange.
Point of View
Absent land records, and premiums quietly deducted with state and central co-funding. That the scheme allegedly ran for nearly a year before a ministerial visit uncovered it raises uncomfortable questions about the adequacy of routine audits. The minister's own linkage to earlier scams in Salasar and Bikaner suggests a replicable playbook, not a one-off. Without systemic fixes — biometric land-record linkage, real-time Girdawari verification, and independent claim audits — PMFBY remains vulnerable to organised exploitation at scale.
NationPress
10 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Rajasthan crop insurance scam in Hanumangarh?
It is an alleged ₹9 crore fraud under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) in Hanumangarh district, Rajasthan, where 162 individuals reportedly opened accounts posing as farmers and had crop insurance premiums deducted on their behalf. Agriculture Minister Kirodi Lal Meena intervened on 7 May 2025 to halt the impending claims payout.
Who is Kirodi Lal Meena and what role did he play?
Kirodi Lal Meena is Rajasthan's Agriculture Minister. He personally visited the SBI branch in Pallu, Hanumangarh, directed the branch manager to produce crop inspection records, and halted the disbursement of nearly ₹9 crore in allegedly fraudulent insurance claims.
How were the fraudulent claims allegedly processed?
According to the minister, savings accounts were opened in the names of 162 individuals who claimed to be farmers, and insurance premiums were deducted from these accounts — including government contributions. Policies were allegedly issued without mandatory Girdawari (crop inspection records) or Jamabandi (land ownership documents).
Has an FIR been registered in the case?
SBI Pallu Branch Manager Ankush Miglani confirmed that a formal complaint seeking registration of an FIR has been lodged with Pallu Police Station. Steps to freeze the accounts of the individuals under investigation have also reportedly been initiated.
Is this scam linked to other crop insurance frauds in Rajasthan?
Agriculture Minister Meena has linked the Hanumangarh case to earlier PMFBY irregularities in Salasar and Bikaner, including an alleged instance where claims worth nearly ₹6 crore were processed despite no groundnut crop having been sown, suggesting a potentially systemic pattern.
