Kumari Selja, Sirsa MP and Congress national general secretary.
Congress MP says farmers should receive timely compensation according to real crop damage, while nearly 73 lakh farmers exiting the scheme in two years raises concerns over declining trust
CHANDIGARH | PEN OF DEMOCRACY NEWS DESK
Sirsa MP, former Union Minister, Congress General Secretary and Congress Working Committee member Kumari Selja has raised serious questions over the present implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, alleging that the existing crop insurance system is failing to adequately protect farmers who suffer actual losses due to natural disasters.
Selja said that farmers contribute insurance premiums from their hard-earned income with the expectation that they will receive financial protection when their crops are damaged by floods, droughts, unseasonal rainfall, hailstorms or other natural calamities. However, she alleged that when farmers actually suffer crop losses, many of them are forced to struggle for compensation because of survey procedures, average yield calculations and technical conditions.
She said that the reported exit of nearly 73 lakh farmers from the crop insurance scheme over a period of two years should be seen as a serious warning sign regarding farmers’ confidence in the existing system.
According to Selja, the fundamental purpose of crop insurance is to provide financial security to farmers when their agricultural produce is destroyed or damaged by circumstances beyond their control. However, she said that when there is a significant difference between the actual loss suffered by a farmer and the compensation eventually received, questions naturally arise over whether the scheme is serving its intended purpose effectively.
“A farmer’s damaged crop cannot be assessed only through files, statistics and calculations based on average production,” Selja said. “The compensation system must recognise the actual loss suffered by an individual farmer. If a farmer has suffered a major crop loss, the compensation should be determined accordingly and should be provided within a reasonable and fixed timeframe.”
The Congress leader also questioned the methodology used for assessing insurance claims. She said that when crop insurance coverage is linked to the specific area cultivated by a farmer and the insured amount is determined according to the crop and land area, individual field-level losses should also receive greater importance during the assessment of compensation.
Selja said the government and insurance companies must explain why the actual condition of an individual farmer’s field is sometimes not given sufficient weight when determining the final claim amount.
She pointed out that transparency should be a central part of the crop insurance process. Every farmer, she said, should receive complete and clear information regarding his or her insurance coverage. This should include details of the insured land, crop, insured amount, premium paid and the conditions and methodology used for determining compensation.
According to Selja, farmers should not be left uncertain about whether their land and crops have been properly insured or about the basis on which crop damage has been assessed.
She further said that farmers must be informed clearly if their insurance claim is reduced or rejected. The reasons for such decisions, she said, should be communicated in a transparent manner so that farmers understand the basis of the assessment and have an opportunity to seek clarification wherever necessary.
Selja said the present system must take into account the reality that crop damage can vary significantly even within the same village. One farmer may suffer extensive damage because of local flooding, excessive rainfall, pest attacks or other circumstances, while another farmer in the same area may experience comparatively limited losses.
“In such situations, it is unfair to rely entirely on average yield figures for a larger area while determining compensation for an individual farmer,” she said.
She added that if a farmer has suffered an 80 per cent or even 100 per cent crop loss, the compensation mechanism should adequately reflect the actual damage rather than relying solely on broader area-based calculations.
Selja called for greater use of technology, satellite-based assessment, digital monitoring and physical field verification to ensure that crop loss surveys are more accurate and transparent. She said modern technology can play an important role in strengthening the assessment process, but technological methods should also be supported by ground-level verification wherever required.
She demanded that the government develop a more transparent claim settlement mechanism that gives greater importance to actual farm-level losses.
The Congress MP said the interests of farmers must remain the priority of any agricultural insurance scheme. She alleged that the government should focus more on ensuring timely support for farmers rather than allowing procedural complexities to delay or reduce legitimate compensation.
“If the premium is collected from farmers on time, then surveys, assessment and payment of compensation should also be completed without unnecessary delay,” she said.
Selja said farmers deserve to know how much of their land and crop has been insured, how their losses have been assessed and why a particular amount of compensation has been approved.
She demanded a comprehensive review of the crop insurance system by both the Central and state governments. Among the key reforms suggested by her were the mandatory provision of insurance policy documents to every farmer, greater transparency in crop loss assessments and the participation of farmers during the survey process.
She also demanded that actual field-level damage should receive greater importance while deciding compensation and that farmers should not have to repeatedly visit government offices or depend on unclear procedures to receive the benefits of an insurance scheme for which they have already paid premiums.
“Crop insurance should be a shield of protection for farmers and not merely a system that benefits insurance companies,” Selja said.
She added that the true test of any crop insurance programme lies in how effectively it supports farmers when they are facing financial distress due to crop failure.
“A farmer who has suffered an actual loss must receive compensation corresponding to that loss and it must be provided in time. This is what genuine farmer welfare should mean,” she said.
Selja said agriculture remains the backbone of the rural economy, and the financial security of farmers is directly connected with the welfare of millions of families. She stressed that crop insurance should function as a dependable safety mechanism during difficult times rather than becoming an additional source of uncertainty for farmers.
Government Making Sugar and Onions Unaffordable for Poor:Kumari Selja
Kumari Selja also expressed concern over rising inflation and said that the increasing prices of essential food items are placing a growing burden on poor and middle-class families.
She said that the prices of sugar, onions and everyday vegetables have a direct impact on household budgets, particularly for families living on limited or fixed incomes.
“The situation is gradually reaching a point where essential items such as sugar and onions are being pushed beyond the reach of ordinary households,” she alleged.
Selja said inflation should not be viewed only through official statistics and economic data. Instead, she said, the real impact of rising prices should be understood by looking at the daily struggles of families trying to manage household expenses with limited incomes.
According to her, the rising cost of essential food items affects not only poor families but also middle-class households, which are increasingly finding it difficult to balance food expenses with education, healthcare, housing and other daily requirements.
She said that the Congress has consistently supported policies aimed at protecting the interests of consumers while ensuring that farmers receive fair and remunerative prices for their agricultural produce.
Selja stressed that controlling inflation should not come at the cost of farmers.
“The government must adopt a balanced policy in which farmers receive profitable prices for onions, vegetables and other crops, while consumers are protected from excessive prices through strict action against hoarding and profiteering,” she said.
She added that effective market management and action against artificial price manipulation are necessary to protect ordinary consumers without depriving farmers of fair returns.
Selja said the government has a responsibility to maintain a balance between the interests of producers and consumers.
“Farmers’ incomes must remain protected, but at the same time, essential food items must remain affordable for poor and middle-class families,” she said.
The Congress leader said that economic policies should ultimately be judged by their impact on ordinary citizens. Rising food prices, she added, affect the everyday lives of millions of families and require serious attention from the government.
