Maha mantri’s beggar jibe over Rs 1 crop insurance coverage triggers row – The Instances of India
AMRAVATI: Even beggars do not settle for one rupee in alms, however govt is giving crop insurance coverage for this sum and this too is being misused, Maharashtra agriculture minister Manikrao Kokate mentioned Friday, triggering sharp reactions from farm outfits and opposition events.
The minister, an NCP MLA from Nashik, was answering a question on the Re 1 crop insurance coverage scheme after a gathering in Amravati.
Kokate, nevertheless, clarified there was no plan to discontinue the scheme, however modifications could be made to plug loopholes. “Govt rejected 4 lakh insurance coverage declare purposes. These could have been turned down due to inaccurate entries. The scheme has been useful, nevertheless it was become a rip-off by sure components.”
Former Congress president Nana Patole mentioned, “The Mahayuti govt should apologise to farmers. What was promised for Re 1 is now being hiked 100 occasions. And the agriculture minister is insulting farmers by evaluating them with beggars.” Later, Kokate mentioned his assertion was “misinterpreted and distorted”, and he was “solely speaking about irregularities by exterior firms”.
Maharashtra govt launched a crop insurance coverage scheme for a rupee in 2023.
Earlier, farmers needed to shell out round Rs 750 to Rs 1,100 a hectare in direction of premium, which is now borne by the state. A spokesperson of Swabhimani Shetkari Paksha mentioned Vidarbha is already dogged by farm suicides and such statements can worsen the scenario. Activist Vijay Jawandhia mentioned, “Charging one rupee can be a mere formality. Govt ought to make it free, and purposes ought to go instantly from the talati’s workplace. Now, farmers depend upon neighborhood service centres to refill their varieties. Direct purposes will dispose of fraud.” A former director of a govt job pressure on agrarian disaster mentioned, “Even when the insurance coverage is being provided for a rupee, not many claims are being granted, in the end benefiting insurance coverage firms.”
