PWD and Irrigation Minister Shivpal Singh Yadav has asked the insurance companies to release 25 per cent of the insured money immediately to the farmers who lost their crop and also issued warning to officials to ensure that there is enough money in the treasury and compensation cheque are not bounced.
During a review meeting here on Tuesday Yadav said action would be taken against officer if banks do not honour cheque in view of paucity of funds. “In case of bouncing of cheque action would be taken against officials,” he said. Warning was issued following report that cheque issued by Mathura administration bounced leaving farmers high and dry.
Yadav said DMs of the affected districts should set up a team comprising officials of insurance, agriculture, banking and co-operative sectors. They should review the loss of crop because of rains and hail storm and submit the report within a week’s time.
Yadav also said that money disbursed by the insurance companies was insufficient and asked them to release at least 25 per cent of the insured money to the farmers immediately. “The farmers who lost their Rabi crop need immediate financial help and insurance companies extend helping hand to them,” he said.
He said in many areas the insurance companies have not carried out the survey where rains for the second time in first week of April. Survey should be carried out in those districts and help should be extended to affected farmers, Yadav said. “Insurance companies have no record as how much crop was destroyed after harvesting. Farmers had stored the harvested crop in their fields and rains turned the farms into cesspool destroying crop,” he said and added that strict action would be taken against insurance companies if they fail to extend relief to farmers.