Govt fleecing farmers on crop insurance: Deshmukh

Nagpur: Former minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Anil Deshmukh has accused the BJP-led state government of “looting” farmers in the name of providing crop insurance.
In a press release issued on Monday, Deshmukh pointed out that crop insurance premiums are deducted from agriculture loans provided to farmers leaving the latter with no options but to pay up.
“There was a severe drought last year. Farmers, including orange and sweet lime (Mausambi) orchard owners, lost their crop totally. But not one of them received any claim from the insurance companies. Yet, all nationalized banks have yet again been instructed to deduct crop insurance premium amounts from crop loan being disbursed to farmers,” he said. “So, who is benefiting from crop insurance plans?” asked Deshmukh .
He alleged that private insurance companies who have mandate to run crop insurance schemes were the ones whose interests the government was protecting. “Citrus fruit orchards’ insurance claims and that of other kharif crops are handed by different private companies who fail to respond to claims filed by hapless farmers,” Deshmukh said.
The NCP leader has represented the orange belt of Katol-Narkhed area since 1995 in the state legislature before he was defeated in 2014 by nephew Ashish Deshmukh, who contested against him riding on the Modi wave.
“The government has not given a penny to farmers reeling under drought and crop losses. Farm loan waiver scheme of the BJP government is yet to reach even 20% of the beneficiaries because of slow roll out,” said Deshmukh, preparing pitch for state elections that are just three months away.