9,371 farmers await crop insurance claims in Karnal

KARNAL: A total of 9,371 farmers in Karnal district, who suffered crop losses during the 2018 kharif season, are yet to receive compensation under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).
The money is yet to be disbursed by the insurance company to the beneficiaries even after more than a year. Due to clerical mistakes by their banks, as many as 4,395 farmers are struggling to settle their claims.
According to the data provided by the district agriculture department, 37,176 farmers were registered for kharif crops under PMFBY in 2018 in Karnal. Out of them, 15,474 farmers had approached the agriculture department for claims after facing losses due to rain.
Applications of 3,474 farmers had been rejected as they had filed for claims after 48 hours of the loss while the remaining 12,000 applicants were found to be genuine. Of them, the insurance company settled the claims of 2,629 farmers amounting to Rs 4.56 crore. Remaining 9,371 farmers are struggling for their claims out of which 4,395 farmers have to wait due to clerical mistakes by the banks such as not entering the correct details of farmers on the PMFBY portal.
Subhas, a farmer of Ardana village, said he had suffered losses during the 2018 kharif season and got his crop insured under the PMFBY. He said he had been running from pillar to post to get his insurance claim settled, but neither the insurance company and nor the bank was ready to listen to him.
Rattan Mann, state president, Bhartiya Kisan Union, said the agriculture department should take action against “negligent” bank officials or the insurance company, who were responsible for not settling the claims of farmers.
“A district-level meeting had been held in the presence of the Karnal deputy commissioner. The DC had written a letter to the state government to open the portal for two days so that mistakes made by the banks could be rectified. If the government declines to reopen the portal, then banks or insurance company concerned should ensure compensation to the farmers,” said Aditya Dabas, Karnal deputy director of agriculture.
“The matter has been referred to the state government to grant permission to authorize banks to correct the entries on the PMFBY portal so that payment can be made to farmers,” said Karnal DC Vinay Pratap Singh.
“The insurance company and banks both are at fault in different cases. A notice has been issued to the banks and also to the insurance company and they have been directed to award compensation to farmers as soon as possible, failing which properties of the authorities concerned would be seized,” said Jag Raj Dandi, joint director of agriculture, Haryana.