Haryana Officials Suspended for Crop Damage Claim Fraud

Chandigarh, Dec 5 (PTI) As many as six revenue officials in Haryana have been suspended in a crackdown against fraudulent crop damage claims through a government portal by repeatedly uploading the same pictures as evidence.

The officials were suspended after Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini took strong cognisance of the misuse of government funds and fraudulent activities on the E-Kshatipurti portal, where the same photos related to crop damage were repeatedly uploaded as evidence.

He has directed strict disciplinary action against all Patwaris (revenue officials) involved in such cases, an official statement said here on Friday.

Following the chief minister's order, the concerned Patwaris have been identified, and action has been initiated. Patwaris from Jui Khurd (Bhiwani), Boripur (Kurukshetra), Kalawan (Jind), Jandwala (Fatehabad), Pataudi (Gurugram) and Nimli (Dadri) have been suspended with immediate effect.

A thorough investigation is underway to identify and take action against other erring officials.

The chief minister gave these directives while chairing a review meeting here on the progress of the Revenue Department's budget announcements.

He said the government's priority is to ensure that assistance reaches every eligible person without discrimination.

He emphasised that farmers who have suffered actual losses must be assured of timely compensation.

To compensate for crop losses caused by excessive rainfall during the monsoon this year, the chief minister had issued instructions for the assessment of crop damages in a transparent manner, and prompt submission of reports.

The chief minister expressed concern over delays in the process and instances of fraud, where some Patwaris reported crop damage even in unaffected areas.

Additionally, repeated uploads of the same crop damage photos were found as an attempt to misuse government funds. Strict disciplinary action has been ordered against all such erring Patwaris, the statement said.

In the review meeting, the chief minister directed the Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue Department, Sumita Misra, to immediately collect reports from all deputy commissioners and ensure that affected farmers receive compensation within the next week.