EXTEND FARMER INSURANCE DATE: STATE TO CENTRE Friday, 14 August 2015 | PNS | BHUBANESWAR | in Bhubaneswar

EXTEND FARMER INSURANCE DATE: STATE TO CENTRE

Friday, 14 August 2015 | PNS | BHUBANESWAR | in Bhubaneswar

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The State Government has urged the Union Government to help non-loanee farmers in view of the impending drought.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday urged the Union Ministry of Agriculture to extend the cutoff date for applying for insurance coverage by non-loanee farmers to August 31.

In a letter to Union Minister of Agriculture Radha Mohan Singh, the CM stated that agriculture operations in the State have been delayed due to uneven and deficient rainfall.

“In order to help the maximum number of farmers to avail the benefits under the crop insurance scheme of Government, it is requested that the cutoff date for applying for insurance coverage by the non-loanee farmers may be further extended to August 31, 2015 instead of July 31, 2015 under the NAIS during Kharif-2015,” Patnaik’s letter said.

Besides, Odisha MPs held a meeting with Singh and Union Agriculture Secretary on this issue in New Delhi on Wednesday and urged them for extension of the cutoff date for non-loanee farmers, especially in the KBK and western Odisha regions.

Balangir MP Kalikessh Narayan Singh Deo said there is impending threat of drought in most of the regions of the State in general and particularly in Kalahandi, Balangir, Subarnapur and other areas of the KBK region.

Farmers in these backward areas are small and marginal, who would be severely affected by the drought.

Several nationalised banks are playing truant and farmers are crying hoarse over the issue, Singh Deo said.

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