Collector G. Lakshmipathy looks at an exhibition conducted on the sidelines of the farmers’ grievance redress meeting at the Thoothukudi Collectorate on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: N. RAJESH
Since private insurance firms refuse to give crop insurance benefits to farmers in case of crop loss by citing unrealistic conditions even after taking the insurance premium from the agriculturists, the Tamil Nadu government should directly take care of crop insurance scheme so that the affected farmers would get the benefits on time, agriculturists have demanded.
Farmers of Thoothukudi district, especially those in Vilathikulam, Ottapidaram, Pudur, Kovilpatti and Kayathar taluks, who had cultivated rain-fed crops, mostly chilli, groundnut, maize etc., are running from pillar to post for the past two years to get crop insurance benefits, they said at the farmers’ grievances redress meeting held at the Collectorate on Thursday.
Ravindran of Ettaiyapuram said the rain-fed crops cultivated in Vilathikulam, Ottapidaram and Ettaiyapuram blocks had withered since there was no rain. Hence, the district administration should take earnest efforts to ensure early disbursal of insurance benefits to the farmers.
Backing his demand, Ram Prasad of Kandasamypuram said farmers of Pudur and Kadalgudi, who had cultivated maize, were yet to get the crop insurance benefits for 2021- 2022.
Thamizh Mani of Kurumbur said insurance benefits for plantain crop destroyed by drought-like situation prevailing in Alwarthirunagari, Thenthirupperai, Kurumbur and Authoor should be disbursed immediately.
District secretary of Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam Bhuviraj complained that the private insurance firm was dodging indefinitely disbursal of insurance benefits to the chilli farmers of Vilathikulam and Vembar for the year 2021 – 2022. “Since the firm selected by the government for insuring crops is laying unrealistic conditions in the last minute for giving the insurance benefits in a bid to cheat the farmers, the government should take care of this scheme,” the farmers demanded.
Collector G. Lakshmipathi, who chaired the meeting, said details about the crops cultivated, area of cultivation, yield / loss, survey done to assess crop loss or yield etc. ,would be displayed at the Office of Assistant Agriculture Officer to ensure transparency. An awareness programme on crop insurance would also be organised. “Moreover, crop insurance scheme is to be restructured soon so that it will benefit individual farmers who have suffered crop loss,” he said.
Maharajan of Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam said the government should introduce a device being used by the Gujarat farmers for chasing wild animals that raid crops back into the forest. “Since farmers are losing a lot of crops to wild boar herds, the government should either give permission to the farmers for hunting them down or give due instructions to the forest personnel to hunt them,” Mr. Maharajan said.
When the farmers wanted the officials to put in place a mechanism to check adulteration in neera (pathaneer) and palm jaggery, the officials said a proposal in this connection had been submitted to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and hence an acceptable technology would be finalised by it within the next six months.
Joint Director of Agriculture (in charge) Balasubramanian was present.
