High Court issue notices to Centre, State, insurance companies in connection with crop insurance

Aurangabad, Sept 11:

The Aurangabad Bench of Bombay High Court comprising Justice S V Gangapurwala and Justice R N Laddha has been ordered to serve notices to the union and the State Governments along with the insurance companies. The order was given in response to a petition underlining that the insurance companies had not released compensation against their loss of standing crops in the recent heavy downpour. The next hearing will be held on September 21.

The Agriculture Produce Market Committee's (APMC) former chairman Radhakisan Pathade and other farmers have filed a petition in the High Court through Adv Sidheshwar S Thombre. They demanded compensation against the loss of their crops. The petition underlined that Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) has been implemented to award compensation to the farmers sustaining losses due to natural disasters. The ryots got the compensation in 2018-19, but they deprive of the same in 2020-21.

The petitioners also brought to notice of the court that an average data of rainfall was given to the farmers in 2019. Later on, the annual average rainfall data was shared with changes. Besides, new parameters were fixed for crop insurance. As a result, there is no coordination between total rainfall in different divisions, downpours and real situations. Hence the farmers in large number deprive of crop insurance.