During 2016 Kharif season, a large section of farmers in Jharsuguda district was deprived of insurance benefits owing to faulty policy decisions and commercial interests of insurance companies.
As alleged, out of 819 farmers insured under "Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana" with local Sahaspur Seva Cooperative Society , only 50 have been paid insurance money while the rest are waiting to get the same.
As repeated requests before the Sahaspur Seva Cooperative Society yielded no result, the farmers met District Collector BB Patnaik for his personal intervention. The faulty decisions of the Government are compelling them to commit suicide, the farmers expressed. Sources said that the crop insurance proposal was routed in two phases by the Sahaspur Cooperative Society. Accordingly, necessary fund provision was made for insurance of Rs 7, 59,72, 200 for a total 1,305.68 hectares cultivated land of Sahaspur, Khuntamal, Kulemura and Niktimal panchayats of the district.
Thereafter, the farmers had deposited premium amount of Rs 15, 19,444 with the society. But, as per letter of June 14 of the Central Cooperative Bank, out of the second proposal , the society has received the premium amount of Rs 17, 97, 368 of only 50 farmers of Sahaspur, Khuntemal and Kulemera panchayats and the amounts deposited in the first phase has not been received by the Society office. The society is said to have received the insurance premium amount of 24 farmers of Sahaspur, 25 of Khuntemal and one from Kulemura panchayat.
With this, the farmers have been dissatisfied with the insurance companies for not disbursing their insurance money. On Saturday asection of farmers headed by farmer leaders of laikera block Hemant Sagar, Judhistir Naik, Ajit Naik, Saroj Kumar Naik, Sanjay Patel and Anil Naik met the district Collector to sort out their grievances on priority basis after discussion with the insurance companies. Jharsuguda MlA Naba Kishore Das and Zilla Parishad Chairman laxminarayan Patel were present during discussion.