Question : Crop Damage in Maharashtra

(a) whether the farmers have submitted their district-wise details of the crops damaged in the untimely heavy rains in the State of Maharashtra recently to the concerned insurance companies;

(b) if so, the number of farmers who have been given compensation by the said insurance companies during the last three months till date including the district-wise details of the State of Maharashtra in this regard;

(c) whether the insurance companies are not paying compensation to the farmers and acting in an arbitrary manner despite the farmers submitting the district-wise details of their damaged crops;

(d) if so, the punitive action taken by the Government against these companies and the officers; and

(e) the district-wise details of the State of Maharashtra in this regard?

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

???? ??? ????? ?????? ?????? (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

(a) to (e): As per scheme provisions, farmers are indemnified to the extent/percentage of crop losses against the defined Threshold Yield multiplied by sum insured as decided by the State Government. Claim amount for wide spread calamites are calculated based on the yield data arrived from requisite number of Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs) conducted by the concerned State Government. Claims per hectare are worked out as per following formula:
Threshold Yield (TY) – Actual Yield (AY)
---------------------------------------------------- X Sum Insured
Threshold Yield (TY)
Where Threshold Yield for a crop in a notified insurance unit is the average yield of best 5 years out of past seven years multiplied by applicable indemnity level for that crop.

However, losses due to localized risks of hailstorm, landslide, inundation, cloud burst & natural fire and post-harvest losses due to unseasonal rains/cyclone/hailstorms are calculated on individual insured farm basis. Hence, farmers have to intimate the loss of their crops to the insurance company/State Government/ financial institutions within 72 hours of these losses. Further 48 hours have been provided for, intimation by State Government/financial institutions to the insurance companies. These claims are assessed by a joint committee comprising representatives of State Government and concerned insurance company. But, as per provisions of the scheme, if the crop losses are wide spread in nature i.e. more than 25% of the insured area is affected, then the localized/post harvest claims are also worked out on ‘Area Approach’ basis.
State Government of Maharashtra has informed that they have received intimation from 64.87 lakh farmers covering damaged area of 37.64 lakh ha. State Government has conducted the crop damage survey/punchnama and submitted the digitized copies of Punchnama to the concerned insurance companies. Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, Government of India after detailed discussions with the stakeholders i.e. State Government and insurance companies has given directions for settlement of the claims as per scheme provisions. Insurance companies are working out/processing the claims due to post harvest losses as per provisions of the scheme.
However, prevented sowing claims and yield based claims for moong, urad, soyabean and tur crops of about Rs. 344.86 crore have been paid to 10.96 lakh farmers by the insurance companies for Kharif 2019 season in the State.
The Revised Operational Guidelines interalia provides for 12% penal interest to be paid by the insurance companies to the farmers, if there is more than 10 days delay from stipulated timeframe in settlement of claims etc. Further, State Governments have also been advised to impose penalties on insurance companies themselves for non-performance of certain provisions of the scheme.

********