BJP demands crop insurance scheme for farmers

HYDERABAD: Telangana BJP on Wednesday demanded that the state government immediately introduce a comprehensive crop insurance scheme to save farmers from repeated disasters of crop losses due to adverse weather events. Bharatiya Janata Party state president Bandi Sanjay Kumar said in the past three years farmers lost crops in around 37 lakh acres in the state, and with an average investment of Rs 50,000 per acre per crop, their losses amounted to Rs 18,500 crore.

Sanjay, in a letter to Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, also said that by repeatedly ignoring problems faced by farmers, the state government has displayed how it does not care about the farming community.
“Just in the past few days, crops in 4 lakh acres in 27 districts were affected by rains and hailstorm and this was the second such episode in the current Yasangi crop season. Earlier this March, crops in 5 lakh acres were affected, but the government says it will pay compensation only if a minimum 33% of standing crop is damaged,” Sanjay said.

He said the Chief Minister, after touring Karimnagar district in March, announced a Rs 10,000 per acre as compensation, and that too after cutting down the affected area to 2.38 lakh acres. “You also announced that Rs 228 crore will be distributed as compensation. Though orders were issued on April 19 releasing Rs 150 crore, nothing has reached farmers so far,” Sanjay added.

Sanjay also questioned the BRS claims of ‘ab ki baar kisan sarkar’ at the Centre, saying Chief Minister’s actions so far point to the opposite with not a shred of evidence to show he actually cared for farmers.