Fake farmers, fake land: Roads, ponds & cremation grounds shown as paddy fields for MSP

A satellite-based survey has rocked Odisha’s Keonjhar district after a massive scam exploiting the increased MSP of paddy was uncovered on Saturday. The survey conducted by the Cooperative Department has uncovered widespread land record manipulation, with paddy cultivation being falsely shown on nearly one lakh fake land plots.

According to official sources, a total of 79,108 farmers registered this year in Keonjhar district to sell paddy. However, the unusually high number of registrations raised red flags within the administration, prompting authorities to order a detailed verification through satellite imagery. The survey revealed that thousands of registrations were linked to non-existent or ineligible agricultural land.

The satellite survey has so far identified more than 65,000 fake plots. Shockingly, areas such as roads, ponds, cremation grounds, residential spaces and even land belonging to the Railway Department were shown as agricultural plots for paddy cultivation. Officials suspect that middlemen played a key role in the fraud by creating fake plot registrations to illegally benefit from the MSP hike and siphon off funds meant for genuine farmers.

Also Read: Odisha govt raises paddy MSP by Rs 69 per quintal for Kharif 2025

As part of the verification process, over 97,799 plots were initially marked as suspicious. The survey of 53,402 plots has been completed to date, and out of these, more than 48,722 plots have already been confirmed as fake. The scale of the irregularities has left the district administration stunned.

“This is Gumrah Mouza, Khata no – 55, plot - 665. During the survey, we found out that over 1 acre of land has been registered. Interestingly, there is no farmland here, and the land is actually ofthe  Railways. Only 20% of the registered lands have been cultivated, while the remaining 80% are fake,” informed Bibhisan Naik, survey specialist.

Authorities have now decided to accelerate the remaining survey work. The District Supply Officer has stated that once the entire verification process is completed, strict legal action will be initiated against those found involved in the scam. 

When contacted, District Supply Officer Parushram Patra said, “At least 97, 799 plots were marked suspicious. Till now, we have surveyed 53,402 plots, out of which more than 48,722 plots have been confirmed fake. We will reject all the fake plots, and they will be declared unfit for cultivation.”

The revelations have raised serious concerns over the misuse of welfare schemes and highlighted the need for stronger monitoring mechanisms to safeguard the interests of genuine farmers.