K'taka to release crop insurance claims to ryots

Bangalore, July 3 (UNI) The Karnataka Government will pay in ten days Rs 138 crore against the crop insurance claim settlement for 2006-07, Agriculture Minister Bandeppa Kashempur said today.

Speaking to newsmen here, he said the amount covered both medium and long-term crop claims. The government had already released Rs 10 crore two months ago towards short-term crop claims covering over one lakh farmers.

The state and the Union Government would equally share the claim payment. The money would be paid through the Agriculture Insurance Company of India Ltd.

The Jewargi Taluk of Gulbarga District topped the list with Rs 49 crore in claims of a total of Rs 83 crore mainly due to largescale failure of tur dal crop.

Mr Kashempur also emphasised the need for the Centre to initiate measures for more effective insurance coverage of various crops He also said the state had urged the Centre to include 13 more districts under the Vidarbha package to provide relief to farmers to prevent suicide.

UNI