Farmers threaten stir over rejection of crop insurance claims

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Jhajjar, January 18

The Al- India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) has threatened to launch a statewide agitation after insurance companies rejected 44 per cent claim applications filed by farmers to get compensation under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).

Preet Singh, vice-president of the AIKS, said, “Instead of bailing them out of crisis, the insurance companies have rejected claim applications filed by farmers. We will launch an agitation against the state government if it fails to ensure compensation to all farmers.”

The Congress and the CPI (M) too have condemned the action. “Since the insurance companies have nothing to do with the farmers’ interest, it was quite expected that they will not pay compensation for crop loss. The state government should compensate the farmers on its own instead of putting them to the mercy of insurance companies,” said Inderjit Singh, member, CPI (M).

He further alleged the insurance companies acted in a non-transparent manner as officials had no explanation on the basis on which claim applications were rejected.

Krishanmurti Hooda, spokesman, HPCC, said, “The PMFBY is nothing but a mode to deceive innocent farmers in the name of providing insurance cover for their crops.”

Hooda demanded the state government should ensure adequate compensation to all farmers by making public the grounds of which claim applications were rejected and the method to calculate compensation.

Notably, insurance companies have rejected 44 percent claim applications filed by farmers across the state to get compensation under PMFBY for their kharif crops damaged due to waterlogging.