Crop Insurance : Appeal for individual crop insurance scheme

Madras High Court is having confidence that the Centre would look into a plea for individual crop insurance scheme as early as possible. A bench consisting Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Pushpa Satnyanarayana made the observation while disposing of a petition by former DMK MLA M Appavu seeking crop insurance for individual farmers in Tamil Nadu.

Petitioner had sought a direction to the Central and Tamil Nadu governments to extend the crop Insurance scheme to all individuals.

The bench said that we are sure that the Central Government will look into the aspects with technical assistance of experts to endeavour for individual crop insurance scheme process as may be feasible as early as possible.

The Centre in its affidavit submitted that it was implementing comprehensive crop insurance scheme (CCIS) with active participation of state governments with subsidy contributions both in premiums and claims.

The scheme was implemented through the General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC) and farmers having crop loans from commercial banks, cooperative credit institutions and Regional Rural Banks for notified crops were covered under it.

The court said, "We may note that even according to the counter-affidavit of the Central Government the reduction in the unit of insurance to field/individual level will definitely be the ideal situation and lead to more realistic assessment of crop losses and payment of compensation to individual farmer- which is what the petitioner seeks through the present petition."

The bench observed that the security of the agriculturalists in terms of the crops grown by them certainly was a matter of concern and the Centre would look into all the aspects with technical experts for the individual crop insurance process.

Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com