Jammu, Apr 3 (KNS): State Secretary, CPI(M) J&K, Ghulam Nabi Malik has said that there is a little in Crop Insurance Scheme to justify the government’s claim that it is a path-breaking scheme for farmers’ welfare as many shortcomings existing in previous schemes are yet to be removed.
“For instance the crops to be insured are yet to be decided. Similarly the premium is high for both Rabi and horticulture crops and an individual farmer has not been considered as the basic unit to be insured in the new crop insurance policy that has been approved by Governor led administration in Jammu and Kashmir,” Malik in a statement issued to KNS remarked.
He said that ‘frost’ that causes huge damages to various crops has not been included in the category of calamities and only 10 per cent land has been decided to be brought under this scheme during current fiscal year.
The CPI (M) leader observed that Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY) has nothing substantial to offer to this hapless section of the society.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel“This policy seems as a dressed up version of existing crop insurance schemes without addressing any basic issues.”
Malik said the government seems to have dressed up the existing crop insurance schemes with minor improvements and added a lot of hype to create an impression as if the farmers have been finally secured from recurrent crop losses. “This exercise is unfortunately another missed opportunity to redress a long-standing and critical problem of the farm sector,” Malik remarked.
He said that in light of the shortcomings that are yet to be removed, the farm sector is justifiable in not seeing any expansion of choices in the new crop insurance scheme. “Unless the long pending grievances of farmers are not addressed comprehensively, the crop insurance scheme adopted in J&K is not going to lead to improved coverage or mitigation of farm distress,” the CPI (M) leader observed. (KNS)