HYDERABAD: A Division Bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice MS Ramachandra Rao and Justice T Vinod Kumar, adjudicated a PIL seeking a direction for the Telangana State and the Central governments to pay compensation to all farmers who lost their crop in the floods of September-October 2020.
The High Court directed Assistant Solicitor General to place the letter written by the Chief Minister of Telangana to Prime Minister and the Central Committee report on damage caused by the floods, by Wednesday. The case was adjourned to Wednesday. Ch. Ravi Kumar, counsel for the petitioners, informed the Bench that the Telangana government has not paid premium for insurance cover for the year 2019-20 and only a part premium was paid for the year 2018-19, due to which the insurance companies were not paying insurance to the farmers.
The State had informed the Centre that it had suffered a loss to the tune of Rs 5,000 crore due to the incessant rains and floods and had sought a package of Rs 1,000 crore in total and Rs 650 crore to take up relief and rehabilitation work. Assistant Solicitor General (ASG) N Rajeshwar Rao informed the court that the Centre had released an amount of Rs 449 crore and Rs 150 crore for the State.
The Centre has in total given Rs 1,456 crore to the State so that it can provide ex-gratia to the distressed farmers. After hearing the contentions of petitioner’s counsel, the Bench questioned the Advocate General BS Prasad as to what was the intent behind the State government’s release of Rythu Bandhu amount to only the pattadars, while the tenant farmers, who actually toil in the farms, were not getting any help.
Unless, the State government pays the premium towards crop insurance to the insurance companies, why will the insurance companies pay the farmers, the Bench asked. Despite having Rs 1,000 crore, why is the State government not paying the premium and extending assistance to the farmers, Bench asked AG.