Farmers of Bargarh district and their organisations locked up the office of the National Insurance Company here in Sambalpur. The reason: They are not getting the crop loss compensation amount in spite of so many remainders and follow ups. Even the insurance firm is reluctant to carry out the orders of the Government.
As per information, the farmers of Bargarh, in the year 2017, deposited Rs 1,200 per hectare towards crop insurance. Further, there was huge crop loss that year due to the unfavourable weather condition and drought.
As such, all the insured are entitled to get Rs 43 crore from this insurance company. But that company is dillydallying on the process with some plea or other and, as it seems, not in a mood to pay the farmers their legitimate dues.
While the farmers have expressed their dissatisfaction, they have also taken to the streets a number of times. Even, a meeting was organised at the State capital on September 8 last year where the State Government clearly ordered the company to pay the insurance dues of the farmers.
“But after paying a very small amount, it has again harassed majority of the farmers and deprived them of their rights,” said convenor of the farmers’ organizations Kishore Chandra Devta. As part of the protest, the farmers and their leaders first agitated and locked up the branch office of the company at Bargarh, but to no effect.
“When nothing happened after State Government’s order, and protest of the farmers in Bargarh, we finally locked up the divisional office of the insurance company located at Sambalpur,” said Devta. “If the division office opens at Sambalpur without our knowledge, then we will block NH in Bargarh,” Devta warned.