Madhya Pradesh farmers to get receipt of premium paid for crop insurance

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh co-operative and Panchayat Minister Gopal Bhargava today assured the state Assembly that henceforth receipt will be provided to farmers for the premium paid by them under crop insurance scheme.

Raising the issue during the Question Hour of the ongoing winter session of MP Assembly, Congress legislator Sachin Yadav said the farmers were not getting any proof of the premium they were paying under the crop insurance scheme.

Yadav was joined by senior Congress member Ramniwas Rawat, who said that the issue was of paramount importance, given that during distress the farmers were finding it difficult to claim the crop insurance.

Agriculture Minister Gaurishanker Bisen assured the members that he will look into the issue, admitting that the farmers were not getting receipt against premium.

Dissatisfied with Bisen's reply, Congress member Nishank Kumar Jain alleged that the under the garb of crop insurance scheme, the farmers were being cheated by the agriculture department and cooperative banks as they were not getting any document or receipt against payment of premium.

Following the mounting pressure from Opposition, Speaker Sitasharan Sharma intervened and said that the issue needs to be addressed, as it was linked to farmers.

Minister Gopal Bhargava then immediately assured the House that farmers will get receipt and required documents against payment of premium under crop insurance policy.

The directive in this regard would be issued today itself, he added.