State body to parties: Back Shiv Sena's protest today

Mumbai: Kishor Tiwari, chairman of the Vasantrao Naik Shetkari Swavalamban Mission (VNSSM), a state government farming agency, has asked all political parties to support the July 17 protest organised by the Shiv Sena against crop insurance companies.

Mr Tiwari said that the protest will help in finding solutions to the problems pertaining to the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).

However, the Congress state president and Leader of Opposition had opposed the agitation, saying he did not understand why the Sena was holding the protest.

Despite enrolling under the PMFBY, the farmers were not getting compensation from insurance companies, as there were lapses in uploading farmers’ information on the part of banks and Seva Kendras. It was after Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray raised the issue that crop insurance companies set up centres across the state to help farmers get compensation. There is an immediate need for correction in the PMFBY — an issue once again raised by Mr Thackeray. Therefore, all political parties should support the issue, Mr Tiwari said.

He said that when premiums were being collected from individual farmers, why then was compensation being calculated based on the damage to crops in 40 villages. He said the same should be amended and calculated as per damages to crops of individual farmers.

The state government had last week formed a committee at the tehsil level to resolve the grievances of farmers and public representatives related to the crop insurance scheme.