Tags:
Journalism of Courage
The political slugfest between the BJD and BJP over farmer issues ahead of the December 5 by-election to the Padampur Assembly constituency in Bargarh district has intensified with Union minister from Odisha Dharmendra Pradhan seeking an inquiry into implementation of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) in the state.
The Minister of Education, who spearheads BJP’s campaign in agrarian-rich Padampur constituency, Wednesday led a delegation of farmer organisations to Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar in New Delhi.
The meeting came a day after the Naveen Patnaik government in Odisha announced a Rs 200 crore package for drought-hit farmers, who according to the state government have not yet received their crop insurance dues from the Centre despite continuous follow up and pursuance by the state government.
Raising concerns of the farmers against a private insurance company enlisted by the state government under PMFBY for kharif 2021 season, Pradhan, in a letter to Tomar, said the insurance company paid “abysmally low sum” against crop loss due to drought during kharif 2021.
The insurance company was entrusted with the responsibility of crop insurance under PMFBY in Paikamal, Jharbandh, Padampur, Gaisilat, Sohela and Bijepur blocks of Bargarh district.
Pradhan alleged that the “low payment” of insured sums were due to faulty crop cutting experiments (CCE) data provided by state government officials and manipulation of CCE yield data by the insurance company.
Even as the responsibility of the smooth conducting CCEs was assigned to officials of multiple departments, Pradhan alleged that CCEs were done in an unscientific manner without usage of proper technology and with an intention to suit the insurance companies.
“In some gram panchayats, the payout rate is as low as 5% against expected pay rate of 76.56%. The private insurance companies have manipulated the crop cutting experiment data in collusion with state government officials, resulting in low insurance pay out,” Pradhan alleged in his letter.
Pressing for an inquiry, Pradhan said ineffectiveness of the local administration and cunning tactics of the private insurance companies are derailing implementation of PMFBY in Bargarh district.
After meeting Pradhan, the Union agriculture minister said that there should not be any politics over the issue of farmers and implementation of PMFBY. “We are committed to the welfare of the farmers and the Centre will always stand with farmers,” said Tomar.
On Pradhan’s request for an inquiry into implementation of PMFBY in Odisha, Tomar said he is “looking into the matter and will take up the issue with the state government.”
Amid high-decibel politics, various farmer organisations continued to stage dharnas in Padampur as their insurance claims under PMFBY for last year’s crop loss due to drought are yet to be settled.
Interestingly, candidates of all the three major parties – BJP, BJD and Congress – will file their nominations on the last day, Thursday.
