‘ Task force urge Govt. to Extend deadline for PM's crop insurance scheme -TIME OF INDIA

‘ Task force urge Govt. to Extend deadline for PM's crop insurance scheme -TIME OF INDIA 

TNN | Jul 29, 2016, 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Extend-deadline-for-crop-insurance/articleshow/53441093.cms 

Nagpur: Naik Shetkari Swawalamban Mission chairman Kishore Tiwari has said he would be moving through chief minister Devendra Fadnavis an urgent plea to the Centre to extend the last date for filing of applications under the Prime Minister Crop Insurance Scheme by at least a month.

July 31 was its deadline but data collected from the 14 distressed districts of Marathwada and Vidarbha as well as the banks show that less than 25% farmers could avail of the insurance.

Tiwari said in a release there was almost a stampede in banks in Marathwada with farmers rushing at the last minute for filing insurance scheme papers. PM crop insurance has newly been introduced and there seems to be a lot of confusion about documents to be submitted.

Besides the 7/12 extract, Aadhaar card copy and certificate from talathi on the exact sowing details are also required to be submitted. But talathis in the region have expressed inability to give such a certificate when approached by farmers.

As per practice in the old weather-based crop insurance scheme, such a certificate was given on inspection of standing crop by middle of August in a kharif season.

"If the deadline is not extended to August 31 for kharif 2016, a large number of farmers would be left out," said Tiwari adding the new scheme was very beneficial for farmers because of increased coverage of risks.

There is a shortage of application forms for the Prime Minister's Crop Insurance Scheme in farmer suicide prone 14 districts of vidarbha and marathwada and bankers are also going strike on 29 July whereas The last date for submission of form is July 31.  , an official said. 

14 districts of vidarbha and marathwada needs  4 million  application forms whereas the total supply so far is around 1 million  ,Long queues were seen in front of the banks and in some cases the farmers gheraoed the bank officials for want of forms. 

state Agri. deptt. has confirmed the shortage.