The officials of agriculture department created embarrassment for Agriculture Minister and department's secretary on Tuesday when they came to attend an important meeting with the Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat without proper preparation. The temper of CM, who normally keeps a calm demeanor, flared up when instead of answering the queries raised by him, they looked at each others' face. An annoyed CM cancelled the meeting while castigating the officers for taking things lightly and coming to the meeting without preparation.
As part of the series of review meetings the CM is taking these days, the meeting with the officers of agriculture department was scheduled on Tuesday.
In the meeting the implementation of Prime Minister’s crop insurance scheme was to be discussed among other things. A visibly embarrassed Agriculture secretary, D Senthil Pandian later said that warning would be issued to the officers of the department for the laxity.
He however added that representatives of the banks would also be invited in next review meeting.
Talking to the media after the aborted meeting the agriculture minister Subodh Uniyal claimed that the banks are not showing much interest in the crop insurance scheme. “There are about 45 types of formalities in providing the insurance cover to the farmers.
It has come to our notice that banks are not showing interest in the scheme,’’ he said.
The Minister also added that the liaison with banks would be done by the department.
He said that the government wants to put all farmers under the protective umbrella of agriculture insurance as it would help them wade through the vagaries of nature.