Centre orders insurance firm to pay Rs 225 cr to Maharashtra farmers in a week

Union Minister Chouhan had instructed agriculture officials to immediately resolve the issue after farmers from Parbhani district informed him about the problem during his visit to Nanded.

New Delhi: The Central government on Saturday directed an insurance company to pay pending claims of up to Rs 225 crore to about 2 lakh farmers in Maharashtra's Parbhani district within a week.

The order follows Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's interaction with farmers in Nanded on August 21, where issues of pending soyabean crop insurance claims were raised.

On August 22, the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare held a meeting of the National Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). The committee rejected the insurance company's objections to crop-cutting experiments and ordered the settlement of pending claims, an official statement said.

The name of the insurance company was not disclosed in the statement.

The Central TAC on Saturday issued a formal order to the insurance company to pay the dues within seven days.

This decision will benefit approximately 2 lakh farmers in Parbhani district, with payouts ranging between Rs 200 to 225 crore.

Chouhan had instructed agriculture officials to immediately resolve the issue after farmers from Parbhani district informed him about the problem during his visit to Nanded.

The swift action is expected to provide financial relief to affected farmers in the Marathwada region, known for its significant soyabean cultivation.