Odisha urges Centre to extend cut off date for crop insurance

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today asked the Centre to extend the cut off date for crop insurance for non-loanee farmers under the National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS) during Kharif-2015 crop season.

"I solicit your positive response at the earliest so that the maximum number of farmers can be covered under the above scheme," Patnaik wrote to Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh.

Stating that the agricultural work have been delayed due to uneven and deficient rainfall, Patnaik said the state govenrment has made a request to the Ministry of Agriculture for extending the cut off date for crop insurance of non-loanee farmers under the NAIS during the kharif-2015.

In order to help the maximum number of farmers to avail the benefits provided under crop insurance scheme of the the government, it is requested that the cut off date for applying for insurance coverage by the non-loanee farmers may be further extended to August 31, 2015 instead of July 31, 2015 under NAIS, Patnaik said in the letter.