Aland MLA flags lapses in crop insurance disbursement in Karnataka

Aland MLA B.R. Patil has alleged serious lapses in disbursing crop insurance claims under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), accusing officials of failing to follow prescribed guidelines and causing hardship to farmers.

Addressing a press conference in Kalaburagi on September 13, Mr. Patil said Aland taluk had only three agriculture officers, resulting in inadequate service to farmers. He alleged that lapses by village accountants had denied insurance benefits to several eligible farmers while the tahsildar tried to defend the officials involved.

He urged the administration to conduct gram sabhas to hear farmers’ grievances and ensure their timely resolution. The legislator said that farmers in the taluk were aware of the insurance scheme and had been paying premiums voluntarily. Many had borrowed money to purchase seeds and undertake cultivation; failure to release insurance claims on time in such circumstances is a matter of serious concern, he said

Mr. Patil said nearly ₹300 crore had been sanctioned under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana scheme, but the entire amount had not reached farmers. He cited Hadalagi and Yelasangi villages as examples, questioning why claims had been settled in one village but not the other despite similar circumstances. He sought a review of the entire process and urged the Deputy Commissioner to take stringent action against intermediaries, if found to be interfering with the claims process.

He alleged negligence and corruption among some field-level officials and called for the appointment of agriculture graduates for effective implementation of the scheme. Deploying inadequately trained staff with lower qualifications was affecting the delivery of benefits to farmers, he said.

Mr. Patil said the Agriculture Department had faced a shortage of officers for nearly three decades, adversely affecting its functioning.

Advocate and consumer activist Vaijnath Zhalki was present at the press conference.