VIJAYAWADA: Former TDP minister Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy on Saturday ridiculed the implementation of the free crop insurance scheme by the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government. Speaking to media persons, he alleged that the YSRC government had diluted the free crop insurance scheme without any concern for small and marginal farmers. The government was trampling over the rights of farmers. Several programmes meant for the welfare of farmers were cancelled in the last three years, he charged.
He said the Agriculture Department was claiming that it provided Rs 2,977 crore under the crop insurance scheme to 15.62 lakh farmers in the state. He demanded that the details of beneficiaries of crop insurance scheme be disclosed if the government’s claim was true. It should explain why no insurance amount was paid for chilli crop loss in 4.5 lakh acres in last Kharif season, he said.