Haryana: Engage public sector firm, says farmers’ body

Ravinder Saini

Rohtak, June 16

No insurance cover for kharif crops under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) again in seven districts of the state has evoked a sharp reaction from farmers and office-bearers of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS).

Faced same issue last year

Even last year, no company had provided insurance cover to these farmers. The state government stepped in too late and many farmers were deprived of the benefit. This year also, it has left the farmers on God’s mercy. Master Balbir, AIKS state president

Advertisement

The AIKS has decried the government stating that it has yet again left the farmers on God’s mercy. It said the government should provide the insurance cover through some public sector company.

At a meeting held here today, AIKS office-bearers expressed resentment against the government for not providing any crop insurance cover to the farmers in those districts.

“It’s surprising that the farmers in Mahendragarh, Gurugram, Hisar, Jind, Sonepat, Karnal and Ambala districts will not have any insurance cover for their kharif crops again. Even last year, no company had provided insurance cover to these farmers, while the state government stepped in too late and many farmers were deprived of the benefit,” said Master Balbir, AIKS state president.

Inderjit Singh, vice-president, AIKS, said the official statistics showed that huge profits were earned by private firms during initial years of the PMFBY (2016-17 and 2017-18), but now they were refusing to provide cover against crop loss.

He criticised the PMFBY for giving a free hand to private firms and fixing no accountability or transparency in any matter. He also accused the bureaucracy of being hand in glove with private firms. It was precisely for these reasons that they wanted the crop insurance scheme to be run only by public sector companies, he added.

Surender Kumar, a farmer, said the growers would have to face huge losses in the absence of any insurance cover if their crops suffered damage due to a natural calamity or any other reason.