CHENNAI: A PIL has been filed in the Madras High Court for a directive to the government to disburse the insurance claim to all farmers who have paid the premium. The first bench of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar, before which the PIL from G Giridharan, president of Tamilaga Kaveri Vivasayigal Sangam, came up on Thursday, ordered notice to the Agricultural Insurance Company India Limited, New Delhi and its Chief Regional Manager at Chennai, returnable by June 28.
According to petitioner, the Centre has implemented the National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS) for mitigating the financial losses of farmers due to various causes. The insurance firm fixed the premium at D20, 000 per acre and the farmers, State and the Centre had paid their share of the premium for 2015-16. But, the insurance company has not released the insured sum to farmers, because of which nearly 300 farmers had committed suicide. When contacted, they were told that the claim amounting to D450.68 crore for paddy II and rabi 2015-16 was not released because of the incorrect report submitted by Union Ministry of Agriculture. Hence, the present PIL, petitioner said.