Date:23/07/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/07/23/stories/2004072308990400.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Minister for changes in crop insurance scheme

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JULY 22. The Agriculture Minister, N. Raghuveera Reddy, has termed the crop insurance scheme in its present form `unjust and useless' and promised modification of the same to benefit farmers.

Replying to a short-notice question tabled by G. Veerasiva Reddy of Telugu Desam in the Assembly on Thursday, the Minister also said that the crop-cutting experiments, prescribed under the scheme, were not fair referring to selection of survey numbers of far-flung fields in villages for the experiment by officials sitting in Hyderabad.

A representation had been made to the Union Government pointing out defects in the scheme and suggesting a few measures to fine tune it to suit the interests of farmers, he said. The Centre was asked to bear 50 per cernt of the premium payable by farmer. A response was awaited, he said. The changes proposed by the State include making village as a unit in place of mandal, reduction in premium and payment of compensation as per actual loss.

Mr. Raghuveera Reddy said the Government would try to bring all farmers under the insurance fold. Only 14.9 lakh farmers availed themselves of insurance facility out of the estimated one crore.