Maharashtra agriculture minister orders probe into discrepancies in rainfall data used to deny crop loss claims

Kolhapur: State agriculture minister Dattatray Bharane has ordered an inquiry into alleged discrepancies in rainfall data used to deny insurance claims to grape farmers in Sangli, directing the agriculture commissioner’s office in Pune to investigate the role of automatic weather stations operated by a private agency.

The move follows complaints that conflicting rainfall figures were used to reject payouts for crop damage caused by unseasonal rain in April.

Former MP Sanjaykaka Patil said farmers accessed official data through the Right to Information (RTI) Act showing that more than 60mm rainfall was recorded on April 22 in Visapur and Yelavi circles of Tasgaon tehsil — conditions sufficient to damage grape crops in the flowering stage and qualify for compensation.

“However, insurance companies relied on data from a private agency and rejected claims, stating rainfall was around 38mm, which is below the threshold,” Patil said.

He questioned how two agencies could report sharply different rainfall figures for the same location and date.

“The farmers obtained data from the agriculture department. How can two circles in the same area show different rainfall on the same day by two agencies? We approached the agriculture minister, who has now ordered an inquiry,” he added.

Patil further alleged that claims related to horticultural crops, particularly grapes, are often denied in large numbers because payouts tend to be higher. “Only for two circles in one tehsil, the losses are estimated at around Rs 30 crore. A thorough investigation is needed to uncover the full extent,” he said.