Breach in MFMB portal as fraudsters register land as own in Bhiwani, Sirsa
In a breach in the security system of the online portal of the Haryana Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, cyber fraudsters have reportedly registered about 1.89 lakh acres of crops in their own names in an attempt to usurp welfare benefits meant for farmers under various state government schemes.
The breach apparently continued due to technical flaws and lack of software security as the cyber criminals managed to get the land registered in their names on the “Meri Fasal, Mera Byora” portal.
In Bhiwani district, around 1,50,000 acres belonging to about 7,780 farmers were registered in the names of persons other than the original landowners or cultivators. In Sirsa district too, 39,000 acres of bajra crops were falsely registered by the fraudsters. Sources in the Agriculture Department revealed that the culprits exploited the online system by using farmers’ names, land records and Aadhaar details obtained through unauthorised means to claim benefits under the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana, under which the state government offers ₹625 per quintal as a bonus for bajra.
Sirsa MP Kumari Selja, in a statement, said that the BJP government’s so-called digital system in Haryana has once again been exposed due to false and fictitious registrations on the ‘Meri Fasal Mera Byora’ portal. She alleged that crores of rupees meant for bonuses and compensation were usurped by fraudsters.
She further alleged that schemes like the ‘Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana’ have now become hubs of corruption and fraud. Experts believe this is the result of the state government’s gross negligence, technical failures, and lack of supervision. Selja said that this incident clearly shows the BJP government has failed to protect the rights of farmers and ensure digital security.
The MP demanded an immediate investigation, strict action against the responsible officials and compensation for the affected farmers. She said that the large-scale frauds in Bhiwani and Sirsa districts have exposed the BJP government’s digital mismanagement and corruption. The fact that records of thousands of farmers’ land and crops were transferred to the names of cyber criminals proves that data security and monitoring mechanisms in Haryana are a complete failure.
Haryana Tribune