Crop insurance scheme to be implemented soon in Punjab

Tribune News Service

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, March 26

The Aam Aadmi Party government will implement the crop insurance scheme at the earliest. The scheme, already announced in the Budget for 2022-23, is awaiting the approval.

Maximum damage in Malwa belt

• With farmers estimated to have suffered 10 to 15 per cent crop loss, the state government will have to provide them a compensation of Rs 12,000
• The CM conducted a survey of the affected areas and announced a compensation of Rs 15,000 per acre for those suffering a crop loss of 75 to 100 per cent
• The maximum damage has been reported from Fazilka, Mansa, Muktsar and parts of Barnala

With farmers estimated to have suffered a loss of crop anything between 10-15 per cent because of incessant rain and high-velocity winds for the past two days, the government will have to immediately give them compensation of Rs 12,000.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also conducted a survey of the affected areas today and announced a compensation of Rs 15,000 per acre for those suffering a loss of 75-100 per cent. “The balance of Rs 3,000 per acre will be paid by the state from its own funds,” a top officer said.

The government had ordered a special girdawari of the affected areas on Friday. Director, Agriculture, Gurvinder Singh said the preliminary girdawari reports of nearly 16 lakh hectares under the wheat crop (of a total of 34.90 lakh hectares) had been received.

“Reports have started coming in and we are calculating how many farmers suffered 75 per cent to 100 per cent loss or over 50 per cent loss,” he said. The maximum damage has been reported in Fazilka, Mansa, Muktsar and parts of Barnala.

The reason that the government has agreed to implement the scheme soon is the huge losses suffered by farmers in the past two years because of the vagaries of weather. The government has to pay Rs 1,500 crore as compensation for crop loss to farmers. The central scheme, though launched in 2016, was not acceptable to the previous government. It is after the Centre had agreed to make the changes in its original scheme that Punjab decided to implement it.

Agriculture Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said the scheme was ready, and would be launched soon. Farmers will pay a part of the premium and the remaining will be shared by the state and the Centre. Farmers will also be able to use the insurance as a collateral for taking crop loans.

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