Kurukshetra: Firm directed to compensate farmer with interest

Nitish Sharma

Kurukshetra, October 1

In a relief to a farmer whose claim was rejected by insurance company, the District Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission (DCDRC) has directed the firm to compensate the farmer with interest.

Pala Ram, a farmer from Hathira village, got his 10 acres insured and an amount of Rs 3,688 was deducted from his account in December 2019 under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). He suffered crop loss due to heavy rains and approached the company and the Agriculture Department for compensation, but to no avail. The complainant filed an RTI in March 2022 and realised that his claim was rejected ‘because the intimated land was not insured on National Crop Insurance Portal’. The complaint was then moved to the DCDRC.

The commission’s order stated that upon notice, the bank in its statement stated that on December 11, 2019, the premium under PMFBY was deducted from the account and thereafter premium amount timely remitted in the account of the insurance firm on December 31, 2019 and partly amount on January 14, 2020. The insurance firm, stated that due to the mismatch of land ID/survey details provided by the complainant, the claim with respect to wheat crop in Hathira village during the rabi 2019-20 season is rejected. Thus, the complainant is not entitled to any claim for the crop under PMFBY during rabi 2019-20 season.

The Agriculture Department stated that the farmer gave intimation and the same was forwarded to the insurance company for the assessment of loss. A committee constituted at the panchayat level conducted a survey and an average loss of 55 per cent was calculated. The report was then sent to the firm.

Vinod Sharma, complainant’s advocate, said, “The claim was wrongly and illegally denied. A loss to the tune of Rs 5,777.42 per acre was assessed. Hence, for the loss occurred on 9.6 acres, the complainant was entitled to the amount of Rs 55,463.23.”

Dr Neelima Shangla, DCDRC president, Kurukshetra, in the order, directed the insurance company to pay Rs 55,463.23 to the complainant, along with interest at the rate of 8 per cent per annum, from the date of the filing of the present complaint till its realisation, within 45 days.