India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has summoned former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik for questioning in connection with an insurance scam in the state. Malik, who served as governor from 2018 to 2019, was issued a notice by the CBI to appear before them in Delhi. The case relates to fraudulent claims made by the Jammu and Kashmir government under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) for crops destroyed due to floods and other natural calamities.
The CBI is currently probing allegations of corruption and money laundering against several officials of the state agriculture department who are suspected of siphoning off PMFBY funds. Malik’s name reportedly came up during the course of the investigation, prompting the CBI to issue a summons to him.
Malik, who is now the Governor of Goa, has denied any wrongdoing and described the summons as an attempt to tarnish his reputation. In a statement to the media, he said he was “ready to face any kind of investigation” and that he had nothing to do with the alleged scam. Malik also accused the CBI of being “selective” in its targeting of individuals and said that he had already cooperated with the agency in the past.
The PMFBY is a government-backed crop insurance programme that aims to provide financial support to farmers in case of crop failure due to natural calamities or pests. Under the scheme, farmers pay a nominal premium and are entitled to a compensation of up to 90% of the loss in case of damage to crops. The Jammu and Kashmir government had reportedly claimed a compensation of over INR 40 crore ($5.5 million) under the scheme for crops destroyed in the floods of 2014.
However, the CBI has alleged that the claims made by the state authorities were inflated and that they had misrepresented the extent of damage caused by the floods. The agency has also accused certain officials of the state agriculture department of having colluded with private insurance companies to siphon off funds meant for farmers. The CBI has so far filed cases against several officials of the department and private insurers in connection with the scam.
Malik is not the first high-profile politician to be summoned by the CBI in connection with the PMFBY scam. Earlier this year, former Union Minister and Congress leader P. Chidambaram was also questioned by the agency in connection with the case. Chidambaram had denied any wrongdoing and accused the government of targeting him for political reasons.
The allegations of corruption in the PMFBY scheme come at a time when the Indian farming community is facing multiple challenges, including declining productivity, rising debt, and frequent crop failures due to climate change. The scheme was introduced in 2016 as a way of providing support to farmers and promoting agricultural productivity. However, the allegations of fraud and mismanagement highlight the need for greater transparency and accountability in the implementation of such schemes.
