Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday advocated holding a national level debate on making crop insurance scheme farmer-friendly and practical.

"The crop insurance scheme should be made practical and farmer-friendly to help those who suffer crop damage due natural catastrophes," Chouhan, told a news agency here.

The Chief Minister said he will request the Centre to relax its rules of awarding compensation to natural calamity-hit farmers on the lines as it has been done by the state government in order to render relief to maximum number of farmers.

"The current rules of Government of India for awarding compensation to natural calamity-hit farmers restrict the scope of relief to a large number of farmers. In Madhya Pradesh, we have changed that by bringing amendments in the Revenue Book rules 6-4. Thus, we are able to cover almost all categories of damages," he said.

Chouhan also informed that he has apprised Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the issue, who in turn has assured to look into the matter.

He said crops under more than four lakh hectare have been damaged in the recent untimely rainfall and hailstorm, and affected over 4 lakh farmers in the state.

The crop damage survey this year is being done in a more transparent manner by officials of three departments, Revenue, Panchayat and Rural Development, Chouhan said.

The (survey) list will be displayed at the Panchayat office and if any discrepancy is found or reported by anyone, survey would be carried out again in that particular case, he added.

Chouhan said in the state, as compared to 2002-03 (during Congress regime), large number of amendments have been done in RB (Revenue Book) 6-4 to ensure compensation for maximum number of farmers and cover a range of damages caused due to calamities.

Citing few examples, he said earlier if crop loss was between 25-50 percent, as per rules, no compensation was paid to farmers. But, now after amendment to the particular rule, more than 50 percent loss will be considered as 100 percent, in order to provide relief to maximum number of farmers.

The other amendments include, compensation for damage to permanent house being raised 42 times while there was no provision for providing relief to huts, while in the previous government's (Congress) tenure, there were no provisions for kutcha house and adjoining space for domestic animals. All these have been included by revising RB rules.Similarly, 18 percent increase has been made in providing compensation for domestic animals. Provision of compensations for vegetable and Isabghol crops too have been included in it, which were not there earlier, he said.

Compensation for the loss of crop of paan (beatle leaf) and fruits too have been raised by 30 and 10 percent, respectively.

Chouhan said that survey of the current crop loss in the state is almost over and distribution of relief will begin soon.

The state recently witnessed crop damage due to untimely downpour and hailstorm in many districts, while opposition Congress had also staged a sit-in protest at the well of the Legislative Assembly here pressing for quick relief to farmers.

Source - https://in.newshub.org