Chhattisgarh records 75% crop insurance claims, govt disburses Rs 5.68 bn

Following scanty rainfall and other reasons, crops of 250,000 farmers were damaged

With about 75 per cent of farmers in Chhattisgarh claiming damages under the crop insurance scheme, The state government has disbursed compensation worth Rs 5.68 billion to drought-affected cultivators.

Severe drought hit the state in the kharif season of 2017-18, affecting paddy production. Of the 149 tehsils across 21 districts, as many as 96 were declared drought-hit. As against 8 million tonne (MT) the previous year, only 6.7 MT of paddy could be produced in 2017-18.

According to state government officials, 1,294,189 farmers across the 27 districts of the state insured their crops under the Prime Minister crop insurance scheme.