Rains hit crops in 20 districts
1.10L-acres of crops damaged; majority of farmers can’t claim loan
Unseasonal rains and hailstorms have caused huge loss to crops in Telangana.
Around 1.10 lakh acres of crops have been damaged in 20 districts as per the assessment done by the agriculture department. The major crops affected were paddy, maize and mango.
Khammam, Siddipet and Nalgonda districts remain the worst affected. However, a majority of the farmers is not eligible to claim crop insurance, thanks to negligence of banks in disbursing the crop loans on time.
While the banks are supposed to disburse loans by December, as per the insurance norms, farmers got loans between January and March making them ineligible to claim insurance. Farmers are now looking towards the state government for help.
As per the Centre’s norms, the insurance firms give coverage for only the crops for rabi season for which loans were disbursed between October and December.
However, less than two lakh farmers out of total 30 lakh farmers in the state got rabi crop loans on time and insurance premium was deducted from them while disburs- ing the loans. Banks were given a target to the extend of `15,000 crore as crop loans for rabi. But, less than `3,500 crore loans were given within the December deadline.
Though another `5,000 crore loans were given between January and March this year, they are not covered under insurance as per norms.
Unseasonal rains and hailstorms have caused huge loss to crops in Telangana.
Around 1.10 lakh acres of crops have been damaged in 20 districts as per the assessment done by the agriculture department. The major crops affected were paddy, maize and mango.
Even for those 2 lakh farmers who has insurance coverage, it would be difficult to claim compensation because they failed to register their claim with the insurance firm by calling the toll free number within 48 hours after their crops got damaged due to rains.
The state government is planning to complain to the RBI against PSU Banks for denying loans to farmers on time which resulted in noninsurance coverage and farmers suffering huge losses.
The state government is now left with no option but to extend financial assistance to farmers on its own.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao directed the officials of Agriculture and Revenue Departments to visit the affected districts to assess the damage caused to crops. The CM asked the officials to submit the report within 15 days.
The government is planning to extend `4,000 per acre as financial assistance towards input subsidy. This will be in addition to `4,000 per acre financial assistance being extended to all the farmers from this Kharif under ‘Rythu Bandhu’ scheme.