Crop insurance scheme 'dressed up' version of old policy: NGOs

New Delhi, Jan 15: Swaraj Abhiyan, a group formed by ousted AAP leaders Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav, and some other NGOs today termed the new crop insurance scheme as a "dressed up" version of the existing insurance policies.

Several organisations, including National Alliance for Farmers Movement (NAFM), Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, Bhartiya Kisan Sangh, Jai Kisan Andolan and Chethana Society criticised the government for creating the hype that farmers have been secured from crop losses.

"The government appears to have dressed up the existing crop insurance schemes, made minor improvements, provided some additional resources and added a lot of hype to create an impression as if the Indian farmers have been finally secured from recurrent crop losses.

"If anything, the limited information available about the scheme in the public domain suggests that it represents a missed opportunity to redress a long-standing and critical problem of the farm sector," the NGOs said in a release.

NAFM further said that it has been demanding a comprehensive relief-cum-insurance scheme which is of universal coverage, affordable for farmers, offers adequate compensation and is free of corruption and hassle in the delivery of the insurance amount.

"Unfortunately, the PMFBY, fails to meet most of these expectations. It appears to be a slightly improved version of the two existing schemes," it said.

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently approved the new crop insurance scheme -- Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY)-- which would replace the existing two schemes, National Agricultural Insurance Scheme as well as Modified NAIS.

PTI