Fraudulent Wheat Sales Under MSP Scheme Detected in Madhya Pradesh, Investigation Underway

The Economic Offences Wing has launched an investigation into an alleged large-scale fraud in the wheat procurement process under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) scheme in Madhya Pradesh. The suspected scam was uncovered in Morena, Bhind, and Rajgarh districts, where individuals are accused of misusing land records belonging to other farmers, including those from Scheduled Castes, to register as farmers and sell wheat at government procurement centres.

According to officials, the accused allegedly purchased wheat from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh at rates between Rs 2,200 and Rs 2,400 per quintal and sold it in Madhya Pradesh at the MSP rate of Rs 2,600 per quintal, pocketing the difference. The estimated illegal profit runs into crores of rupees.

Investigators found that the registration process was bypassed in multiple ways. The applicants' names were supposed to be matched with land records, but several registrations were approved despite clear discrepancies. In many cases, there were no valid sharecropping agreements, no written consent from actual landowners, and no legal proof of cultivation rights. The registrations were often made in one block or cooperative society, while the actual weighing of wheat occurred at distant procurement centres to avoid detection. Most suspicious registrations were completed between March 5 and March 10, often during late-night and early-morning hours.

The money trail reveals that while land records belonged to other farmers, the MSP payments were deposited directly into the bank accounts of the alleged fraudsters. So far, investigators have uncovered the sale of more than 18,000 quintals of wheat through this network. In Morena, 15 Patwaris have been suspended, and show-cause notices have been issued to two Tehsildars of Joura and Banmore. In Bhind, First Information Reports have been registered against four alleged fake farmers.

The probe in Bhind began after Collector Kirodi Lal Meena received a confidential complaint. Food Inspector Sunil Kumar Mudgal conducted a detailed inquiry, which revealed that Khasra and survey numbers used by the accused were not recorded in their names. Field inspections confirmed that the accused had no link with the land parcels shown in their applications. Following the inquiry, registrations of Sanchita Pathak, Girija, Pratiksha, and Veer Singh Tomar were declared fake, and the administration recommended police action.

The investigation is ongoing, with authorities examining the role of officials who approved the fraudulent registrations.