In all 3.53 lakh farmers out of the total of 4.17 lakh in the drought-hit district are set to get the benefits of National Agriculture Insurance and Weather-based Insurance Schemes. A sum of Rs 191 crore, Rs 117 crore under National Agriculture Insurance Scheme against Kharif crop and Rs 74 crore under Weather-based Insurance Scheme, has been sanctioned by insurance companies and the amount is reportedly received by the district administration. The amount would be credited to the bank accounts of the farmers before the beginning of the Kharif sowing. The district agriculture superintending officer Dattatraya Gaikwad clarified that farmers are entitled to get the benefits under both the schemes. However, 64,000 farmers in the district would be deprived of the insurance benefits as they had not enrolled themselves under these policies. It is learnt that the state government has instructed the district administration to submit a report on those farmers who have failed to apply for the insurance cover. It is also learnt that the government is expected to compensate their losses. Meanwhile, farmers are requesting the bankers not to adjust the insurance amount against their crop loan dues as was done earlier. The Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swavlamban Mission (VNSSM) chairman Kishor Tiwari has made a representation to the chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to instruct the nationalized banks to expedite the loan restructuring procedure so that farmers in Vidarbha and Marathwada could avail fresh crop loan before the onset of the sowing season. According to Tiwari, only 20% of farmers could get the crop loan on or before the deadline of May 31. The banks have now extended the deadline to June 30. But Tiwari has urged the CM to instruct the bankers to ensure the release of crop loans before June 15. Source - timesofindia.indiatimes.com