HYDERABAD: Absentee farmers, who lapped up Rythu Bandhu cheques given by the state government towards input investment support, are, however, not showing enthusiasm to take life insurance cover under the Farmers’ Insurance Scheme, a new initiative of the government. With rich farmers, who are living in urban areas, being disinclined to get insured in the category of a farmer, only around 27 lakh farmers have registered their names for the insurance coverage, say sources.
It may be recalled that the government distributed 43 lakh Pattadar Passbooks to farmers and cheques to around 49 lakh farmers under Rythu Bandhu programme. But, the response to the farmers’ life insurance scheme is lukewarm. “We have made all types of campaign. We have personally made phone calls to farmers but there is no response from rich farmers,” said an official.
Besides absentee farmers (farmers who have lands at one place but are working elsewhere), those who have agricultural lands at more than one village are also not enthusiastic about insurance. Hence the poor response to the scheme. If a farmer has lands in two villages, he will get two Pattadar Passbooks and two cheques but only one insurance cover for life. This factor has also dented their enthusiasm.
Some farmers living in villages thought that the insured amount would be paid to the family after the death. “The cause of death that would determine payment made many farmers to view the policy from a negative angle,” an official explained. There are some farmers who are in a dilemma whom to nominate to receive the insured amount of Rs 5 lakh in case of death. The restriction that farmers aged above 60 years are not eligible for the scheme is another dampener that affected the enrolment, officials said.
The insurance coverage to enrolled farmer will start on August 15 this year and end on August 14 next year. For the 27 lakh farmers, the government paid Rs 600-crore insurance premium.
Bond distribution from Monday
Meanwhile, irrespective of the response to the insurance scheme, government officials have decided to advance the distribution of insurance bonds to farmers. Originally, it had been decided to distribute the bonds on August 15 to coincide with the insurance scheme launching date. “But, we have decided to send the bonds directly to farmers form Monday. The bonds had been printed and were dispatched to 15 districts on Thursday.