Thoothukudi farmers to get insurance benefits for crop loss within a month, assure officials

Farmers appeal for insurance benefits after crop loss due to floods, urging officials for immediate action.

The district administration and the Department of Agriculture should take earnest steps for getting insurance benefits from the insurance companies for the crop loss the farmers suffered last year due to heavy unprecedented downpour and consequent flood, agriculturists appealed during the farmers’ grievance redress meeting held here on Thursday.

 Raising the issue, secretary of Tamil Nadu Vivasaayigal Sangam P. Bhuviraj said the farmers across the district, who had cultivated paddy, banana, betel leaf, chilli, grams, pulses, vegetables etc. had suffered huge loss in the flood triggered by the unprecedented 36-hour-long downpour. Even though most of the farmers had paid the premium for insuring their crops within the deadline, the agriculturists were yet to get the insurance benefits for the loss they had incurred.

 Hence, the district administration and the officials attached to the Department of Agriculture should take immediate and earnest efforts to ensure the early disbursal of the insurance benefits, Mr. Bhuviraj appealed.

 Farmers V. Krishnamurthy and Ravindran of Ettaiyapuram, Ram Prasad of Jegaveerapuram, Kasiram and Murugesan of Thottipatti also backed Mr. Bhuviraj.

 The officials from agriculture department and the insurance firm informed that inspection of crop loss or yield had been completed and the details uploaded in the national crop insurance website. Hence, the farmers, who had insured their crops under the Prime Minister’s Crop Insurance Scheme, would get their insurance benefits before the next agricultural grievances redress meet, the officials assured.

 Mr. Krishnamurthy appealed to the officials to recommend to the Tamil Nadu Government for giving agricultural inputs to the farmers during ‘rabhi’ season as being given to the Delta farmers for ‘kuruvai’ paddy season every year. He also appealed to the government to waive the crop loans and the interest of the farmers who had suffered loss due to last year flood.

 When G. D. Chandrasekar of Udangudi urged the officials to allow tapping of the ‘natural drink’ from palmyrah tree without naming it as ‘toddy’, the Collector and the officials wanted to know the name of the ‘natural drink’. When he replied that the government should allow toddy tapping, the farmers vociferously supported it saying that the tapping of toddy would avert hooch tragedies and the ill-effects of liquor.