nA delegation of Shiv Sena MPs on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urged him to plug ‘loopholes’ in the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Bima Yojana (PMKBY). They said several farmers in Maharashtra have not received adequate compensation for their losses under the crop insurance scheme even as the PMKBY has benefitted insurance companies.
Assembly polls in Maharashtra are due later this year and the matter is likely to become a major poll issue. The Shiv Sena has already been vocal about the issue in the state that has seen several farmer suicide cases due to crop failure and drought.
Vinay Raut, Shiv Sena's leader in the Lok Sabha, told reporters that the compensation should be based on the best crop production in the five previous years.
Buldhana MP Prataprao Jadhav said insurance companies should also have their offices at block and district levels to facilitate farmers to register their claims.
He said farmers cannot file their claims online in 24 hours during natural calamities due to lack of Internet facilities. Having an office at the block, tehsil and district level will greatly help them, he added.
