Dr Vaishali Balajiwale / Jeetendra Sapakale / Dinesh Sonawane
NASHIK :
Farmers in Sinnar tehsil have still not get crop insurance benefit under the Prime Minister crop insurance scheme. Government officials and employees take initiative for implementation of government schemes, but they give evading replies when farmers demand the crop insurance, stated farmers in the tehsil.
A team of Deshdoot and Deshdoot Times visited Wavi village to know the ground reality there. The reality has come to the fore during interactions with the farmers over the crop insurance scheme. Many farmers in the area have paid the crop insurance premium for the last 10 years and have paid premiums regularly, but they are still waiting for insurance.
Farmers in the area have largely depended on kharip crop. They suffer loss in case of low or high rainfall. They expect money under the crop insurance scheme in such instance, but insurance companies are avoiding to give the benefit, informed farmer Haribhau Kapse.
The government method of crop cutting report is wrong, alleged former chairman of Sinnar agriculture produce market committee Vitthal Raje Bhosale. While making a crop cutting report, a village in the entire circle having a single crop pattern is selected.
While doing this agriculture and revenue officials select that farm which has availability of water. Farmers suffer losses due to this, he said. Farmers suffered 100% kharip crop loss due to excessive rainfall this time. They also suffered crop loss due to army worm.
Despite this, insurance company representatives did not conduct crop loss assessment, alleged deputy sarpanch of Pimparwadi village Vijay Gurule. Insurance companies consider crop cutting report valid which is prepared in representational form, he added.
Insurance companies lure farmers to complete their insurance target, alleged deputy tehsil chief of Shiv Sena Deepak Velajli. Farmers Madan Bhutada, Ramesh Dhamale, Ratan Hadole, Keshav Gaikwad, Vilas Navale, Sudam Hadole, Ganesh Gaikwad and Kiran Shinde also expressed their strong disappointment over the way of implementation of the crop insurance scheme.
Farmers take crop insurance scheme to compensate their losses in case of natural calamity, however, they are not receiving the benefit as crop cutting method is implemented at circle level. Revenue and agriculture department officials should conduct crop cutting method experiment in each village and report of each village should consider valid, the farmers have demanded.
