Over Rs 1,000 cr crop insurance dues not paid, says BJD

Biju Janata Dal raised the issue of non-settlement of claims under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), with party spokesman Sasmit Patra saying on Monday that claims amounting to be more than Rs 1,000 crore of Odisha farmers have not been settled by the insurance companies.

“Lakhs of Odisha farmers across Bargarh, Sambalpur, Sonepur, Deogarh, Bolangir, Nuapada and Kalahandi districts are affected by the PMFBY,” Patra told media persons.

He said till Kharif 2020, the total premium paid to insurance companies was Rs 6163.28 crore while the payment by the insurance companies was Rs 5,098.64 crore. Thus, the insurance companies profited to the tune of Rs 1,064.64 crore, he said.

Between 2018 and 2020, farmers in Odisha filed crop insurance claims of Rs 2,090 crore but insurance companies paid less than half of these claims, at Rs 1,026 crore, said Patra. “Farmers are facing repeated harassment by the insurance companies related to their assessment of the claims and payments under PMFBY,” he said. Patra said it is high time the Union government rectified these issues and helped the farmers in times of distress.

“The government should use new technology such as drones to clear assessment of claims expeditiously and allow only government insurance companies to undertake PMFBY in order to safeguard the interest of the farmers,” he said.