Rajasthan farmers seek details of insurance payout

NEW DELHI: Rajasthan farmer associations have knocked at the Information Commission’s door, asking about the promised benefits of Prime Minister Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).

Last month, nine organisations complained to the CIC, saying they are not being provided with information by insurance companies and the promised benefits have not reached them.

The Centre’s flagship crop insurance scheme was seen as the government’s bold step to revamp the crop insurance after successive droughts in 2014 and 2015.


In their complaint to the IC, the petitioners have said that the scheme was supposed to help farmers during unforeseen calamities, by “ensuring proper assessment of damages and settlement of claims.”

Now, the companies don’t even show us the inspection records. They tell us we will get nothing if we don’t inform them in 24 hours of damage,” a petitioner said.

Specifying the names of United India Insurance, the complainants have said that they have been told that as per the guidelines issued in relation to the PMFBY, payment of insurance claim could only be made after receiving the grant from the government and that the assessment of claim based on survey report and other material facts was under consideration and hence “the information sought could not be provided at that stage.”

The IC, in an order by CIC Bimal Julka last week, has asked the companies to put out all information free of cost on their website within two weeks.