Madhya Pradesh Co-operative and Panchayat Minister Gopal Bhargava on Monday assured the Assembly that receipts will be provided to farmers for the premium paid by them under crop insurance scheme.

Raising the issue during the Question Hour, Congress legislator Sachin Yadav said farmers were not getting any proof of the premium they were paying under the crop insurance scheme.

Mr Yadav was joined by senior Congress member Ramniwas Rawat who said that the issue was very important given that during distress the farmers were finding it difficult to claim the crop insurance.

Agriculture Minister Gaurishanker Bisen assured the members that he would look into the issue, admitting that farmers were not getting receipt against premium.

Dissatisfied with Mr Bisen’s reply, Congress member Nishank Kumar Jain alleged that under the garb of crop insurance scheme, farmers were being cheated by the agriculture department and cooperative banks as they were not getting any document or receipt against payment of premium.

Following mounting pressure from the Opposition, Speaker Sitasharan Sharma intervened and said the issue needed to be addressed, as it was linked to farmers.

Minister Gopal Bhargava then assured the House that farmers will get receipt and required documents against payment of premium under crop insurance policy.

The directive in this regard would be issued today itself, he added.

Source - http://www.thehindu.com