MP News: Farmers Stage 'Mute' Protest In Chhatarpur, Allege Multi-Crore Scam In Drought & Rainfall Relief Funds

Chhatarpur (Madhya Pradesh): Dozens of farmers staged a 'mute' protest in Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur with black bands on their mouths, against an alleged multi-crore scam in drought and excessive rainfall relief funds, on Tuesday.

According to reports, the protest unfolded during a district-level public hearing at the district headquarters.

Led by Chhatarpur Congress leader Deepti Pandey, these farmers submitted a memorandum to Additional District Magistrate Milind Nagdeve and Deputy Collector Visha Madhwani.

CAG confirms scam

According to the protesting farmers, in 2017-18, officials and patwaris (village revenue officers) colluded to divert their rightful funds into the accounts of ineligible individuals, a fact confirmed by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), the country's highest audit body, in its report.

Congress leader Deepti Pandey raised serious questions about the administration's functioning, stating that a 3-member inquiry committee formed on September 22, 2025, failed to submit its report even after 3 months due to non-cooperation by the tehsil office.

She said, "If the tehsildars themselves have stopped following the Collector's orders, how will the common people get justice?"

Notably, this scam is a long-standing issue for the farmers. The CAG report of 2022 exposed the rampant corruption in the revenue department of Chhatarpur district.

One of the farmers who fell victim to this fraud, Hallu Ahirwar, stated that his share of 9k rupees had been transferred to someone else's account.

Similarly, 5k rupees of Ghanshyamdas Kushwaha, a local farmer, were also misappropriated.

Congress leader Deepti Pandey alleged that this web of fraud is not limited to just one village. Similar fraudulent payments have been made in the patwari circles of more than 50 villages in Chhatarpur tehsil.

Despite the intervention of Leader of the Opposition Umang Singhar and letters from the Relief Branch Commissioner, the district administration's investigation is progressing at a snail's pace, leading to widespread anger among the farmers.