Telangana: Fake Farmers Steal Rs.3.3 Cr Government Funds

Warangal: "Fictitious farmers” siphoned off government funds meant for genuine cultivators in Hanamkonda and Mancherial districts. These fake farmers were shown as cultivating 278 acres in Shayampet mandal and 740 acres in Jaipur mandal, respectively and supplying paddy to rice mills. About ₹3.3 crore was misappropriated with the help of agriculture department officials at both locations.

In Shayampet, an investigation task force of the Telangana State Civil Supplies Corporation found that during the Rabi 2024-25 season, in connivance with family members, mediators and agriculture department officials, the kingpin Bejjanki Srinivas, proprietor of Sambasiva Mini Modern Rice Mill in Kamalapur, fraudulently created 12 fictitious farmer profiles using the official Online Paddyy Procurement Management System (OPMS).

“These fake farmers were shown as cultivating 278 acres and supplying 8,049.6 quintals of paddy to the mill. In reality, no paddy was ever procured or transported. Through these manipulations, ₹1.86 crore was credited to accounts of fake beneficiaries, most of them close relatives of the mill owner. They also claimed ₹500 per quintal as bonus (sanna biyyam),” Task force officials told Deccan Chronicle.

In Mancherial, an enquiry exposed similar irregularities at the District Cooperative Marketing Society’s Paddy Procurement Centre in Narsingapur village for the same Rabi season. The accused, Tatipally Srinivas, proprietor of Sumukh Agro Industries, Ramaraopet, allegedly created seven fictitious farmer profiles using the OPMS portal, following the same modus operandi.

“The accused claimed 740 acres under cultivation and supplied 6,322 quintals of paddy to the mill through the DCMS centre at Narsingapur. Through these manipulations, ₹1.39 crore was credited to fake beneficiaries, most of them relatives of the mill owner,” officials said. “Further investigation and criminal prosecution are being taken up by police under the supervision of the district civil supplies authorities. These cases expose a well-organised network of corruption within the paddy procurement system, involving mill owners, mediators, agriculture department staff and PPC in-charges.”