A senior BJP leader has accused insurance companies empanelled under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana of fudging details of crop loss in Gujarat, following which Chief Minister Vijay Rupani promised to "put pressure" on them to ensure farmers get rightful compensation.
Gujarat farmers suffered massive crop damage due to excess rainfall in October and November, prompting the BJP-led state government to announce Rs 3,795 crore package covering 56.35 lakh affected farmers.
The government had, earlier this month, announced a package of Rs 700 crore for affected farmers.
"It has come to my notice that insurance companies (empanelled under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana ) are employing incompetent people who take signatures of farmers either on blank forms or on forms showing minimum loss when carrying out survey for crop loss due to unseasonal rainfall in the state," Dileep Sanghani, senior BJP leader and former state minister said.
This, he said, was affecting farmers as the state government could direct firms to pay insurance only as per details on these forms.
Sanghani, vice chairman of IFFCO and chairperson of Gujarat State Marketing Federation Limited, asked farmers to be alert to this irregularity being carried out by insurance firms.
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Speaking on the issue, CM Rupani said, "The state government and Centre wll put pressure on insurance companies so that farmers get crop insurance as per losses. We have brought this to the notice of the Union agriculture minister when he was here recently."
Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel promised strict action against insurance companies over such irregularities as well as delay in payment of claims.
BJP Banaskantha Lok Sabha MP Parbat Patel had raised the issue in Parliament recently.
"In my constituency Banaskantha, unseasonal rains caused heavy damage to farmers. The Gujarat government has ordered (crop loss) survey, but I would like to say that while Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana is a very good policy, due to negligence of the companies, a lot of difficulty is coming up in the survey," he said.
"Farmers are required to inform insurance companies within 72 hours (of suffering loss). But calls on the toll free number of the companies or mobile numbers of officers go unanswered," he added.
Over a dozen insurance companies are part of the PM Fasal Bima Yojana.
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