Bolangir, August 16: Farmers in Odisha’s Kantabanjhi Assembly constituency on Wednesday protested against the non payment of their crop insurance claims.
The aggrieved farmers under the leadership of Kantabanjhi MLA Santosh Singh Saluja took out a rally protesting against the apathetic attitude of the Government machinaries towards them and submitted a memorandum addressed to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik through the Bolangir Collector, demanding immediate disbursal of the unpaid insurance claims.
The claims, under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) for crop loss during the 2021 Kharif season, were supposed to be handed to the farmers one year ago, said the Congress MLA.
According to the memorandum, farmers from 67 gram panchayats covering three blocks under Kantabanjhi Assembly segment – 19 GPs in Turekela block, 26 in Bangomunda block and 22 in Muribahal block, have deposited Rs 1,340 per hectare as insurance premium for 2021 Kharif season.
“Though more than one year has been passed, we are yet to get our insurance claims for paddy crop loss during the 2021 Kharif season,” read the memorandum.
MLA Saluja said that the agitation will be intensified if the farmers fail to get the insurance claims at the earliest.
