Bargarh farmers hit streets over crop insurance delay
BARGARH: Farmers of Bargarh on Tuesday staged protest and took to the streets demanding quick disbursal of insurance money for crop damage due to cyclone Michuang-induced rains in December last year.
A large number of farmers under the aegis of Sanjukta Krushak Sangathan took out a rally to the district collector’s office where they staged agitation over their demand. The Sangathan is an association of farmers from 12 blocks of Bargarh district.
In the morning, the farmers gathered at Nisamani high school field in Bargarh town and marched to the district collectorate shouting slogans. Subsequently, the agitators gheraoed the collector’s office.
The farmers claimed the administration submitted a report to the state government stating that paddy crops over 41,000 hectare (ha) of land suffered over 33 per cent damage due to the rains. However, the insurance company has so far disbursed crop damage claims for only over 400 ha of land.
Besides, as per guidelines, crop loss assessment should be done within 10 days and the insurance amount disbursed to farmers within 15 days. But even after more than two months, a large number of farmers are yet to get their insurance money. “The government’s apathy and the insurance company’s indifference have pushed the farmers into a state of distress,” they alleged.
Apart from quick disbursal of insurance money, the agitators demanded input subsidy for farmers who suffered crop loss due to the cyclone, hike in MSP per quintal of paddy to Rs 4,000, a bonus of Rs 1,000 until the new MSP is fixed, end to the practice of paddy deduction by rice millers, waiver of farm loans and provision of 300 units of free electricity every month.
Later in the day, the farmers called off their protest after holding a discussion with Bargarh ADM Mahendra Mohapatra. They also submitted a memorandum to Mohapatra over their demands.
Farmer leader Ramesh Mahapatra said, “We staged the protest to warn the district administration, rice millers and others who are trying to oppress the farmers. We have given a seven-day ultimatum to the administration to initiate a discussion over the demands in the presence of all the stakeholders. If no action is taken, farmers would not hesitate to intensify the protest.”