After unseasonal rains devastated his paddy fields, a farmer from Wada was left stunned when only ₹2.30 was credited to his account as compensation under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).
Madhukar Baburao Patil, a resident of Shilottar village, had invested nearly ₹80,000 to cultivate paddy over seven acres. However, torrential and unseasonal rainfall wiped out more than 80% of his crop, dashing his hopes of earning around ₹1.5 lakh. Having paid an insurance premium of ₹1,500 in July, Patil said he felt deceived by the system.
Our entire crop has been destroyed. How are we supposed to survive on ₹2.30? This is humiliating. The company must compensate us fairly for our losses,” said Patil, adding that officials’ explanation of a ‘system error’ felt like an insult.
The farmer also expressed concern over delays in receiving compensation for the current season. “They say it’s a technical glitch, but how can that justify such a mistake after so long?” he said.
Responding to the outrage, senior agriculture officer Raju Tamboli clarified that the ₹2.30 transfer was not related to the 2025 crop loss claim. It was, instead, the remaining balance from Patil’s 2022–23 compensation, which had already been largely paid earlier.
“The farmer was sanctioned ₹72,466 for losses in 2022–23. Of this, ₹72,464 was credited on May 11, 2024. The pending ₹2.30 got delayed due to a technical issue and was automatically transferred later,” Tamboli explained.
He further added that Patil’s 2025 compensation claim is still under process. “Crop-cutting experiments are ongoing, and once the assessment is completed, the compensation amount will be finalized and released,” he said. Preliminary data is expected by mid-November, though final results might take longer.
Meanwhile, several farmers in the Wada region have urged the government and insurance companies to expedite the compensation process, arguing that bureaucratic delays and technical errors offer little relief to those already facing financial distress after severe crop losses.