Aland MLA reports forfeiture of crop insurance payout in Karnataka

Aland MLA BR Patil at a press conference in Kalaburagi on 13 September 2026. He alleged that the village accountants’ malpractices had denied insurance benefits to several eligible farmers, while the tahsildar tried to defend the officials involved. | Photo credit: ARUN KULKARNI

Alleging serious malpractices in payment of crop insurance claims under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), Aland MLA BR Patil accuses officials of not following prescribed guidelines and causing hardship to farmers.

Addressing a press conference in Kalaburagi on September 13, Mr. Patil said that Aland taluk had only three agriculture officers, resulting in insufficient service to farmers. He alleged that lapses by village accountants had denied insurance benefits to several eligible farmers, while the tahsildar tried to defend the officials involved.

He urged the administration to conduct gram sabhas to hear farmers’ grievances and ensure their timely redressal. The legislator said that the farmers in the taluk knew about the insurance scheme and paid the premium voluntarily. Many borrowed money to buy seeds and grow; failure to release claims on time under such circumstances is a matter of serious concern, he said

Mr. Patil said that nearly ₹300 crore has been sanctioned under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana scheme but the entire amount has not reached the farmers. He cited Hadalagi and Yelasangi villages as examples and questioned why claims were settled in one village but not the other despite similar circumstances. He called for a review of the entire process and urged the deputy commissioner to take strict action against intermediaries if found to be tampering with the claims process.

He alleged negligence and corruption among some officials at the field level and called for the appointment of agricultural school graduates for the effective implementation of the programme. Deploying under-trained and lower-skilled personnel has had an impact on providing benefits to farmers, he said.

Mr. Patil said the Agriculture Department has been facing shortage of officials for nearly three decades, which has adversely affected its functioning.

Advocate and consumer activist Vaijnath Zhalki was present at the press conference.

Published – 14 Sep 2026 10:45 IST