Bhubaneswar: State Minister of State Food Supply and Consumer Welfare, Cooperation Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak today met the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar in New Delhi to demand that the Central Government should not adopt a lax policy in providing crop insurance and provide compensation to the farmers on war-time basis.
“The Government of Odisha is implementing other central sector schemes including Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana for the welfare of farmers. As Odisha is a disaster-prone state, the PMFBY is a major risk mitigation program for the farmers of the state. This assistance is being provided to the farmers as per NDRF/SDRF rules. Since 2016, the state government has been implementing this scheme with determination. Various technical interventions are being adopted to make this effective. It is worth mentioning here that despite the increase in premium subsidy amount every year, the state government has always adhered to the stipulated time frame in the matter of payment of premium subsidy amount to the insurance companies,” the Minister apprised Tomar.
During the 2021 Kharif season, insurance companies raised objections to crop harvesting in 263 insurance units (Gram Panchayats/Urban Local Bodies) and withheld the insurance claims of farmers. After the intervention of the State Committee, the sum assured was sanctioned for only 38 insurance units. Although the state government conducted a detailed analysis of all the cases related to the insurance units, the insurance companies stopped paying the insurance amount related to the remaining 225 insurance units and wrote to the Central Government’s Technical Advisory Committee against the order of the state government. Out of these 225 cases, the Technical Advisory Committee has heard 189 cases on November 3 and the final report is awaited. The decision taken in this meeting does not solve the problems of many farmers of the state.
Minister Atanu Nayak informed Union Minister Tomar during the discussion that it is a matter of regret that the central government accepted the crop insurance company’s decision.
The huge delay in getting the insurance amount has adversely affected the farming performance of the farmers. Especially when the farmers are trying to get rid of the financial hardship of the Covid-19 epidemic, such anti-farmer measures by the insurance companies are constantly creating law and order situation in many districts, he said.
During 2022 Kharif, there has been a decrease in the number of farmers registered under the PMFBY. During Kharif 2021, 12 lakh 29 thousand farmers registered their names for 10 lakh 50 thousand hectares of agricultural land, while during Kharif 2022, 11 lakh 49 thousand farmers registered their names for 9 lakh 58 thousand hectares of agricultural land.
Participating in the Technical Advisory Committee meeting, the State Government has made some specific proposals regarding the yield estimation method adopted by the Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre.
Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Naik urged the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar to direct the Technical Advisory Committee to immediately pay the insurance amount to the farmers of the state considering the proposed view of the state government.
State Cooperatiion Minister along with Principal Secretary Sanjeev Kumar Chadha were present during the meeting
