PIL filed against Centre’s crop insurance plan

Bhartiya Kisan Sangh has filed a PIL with the Gujarat High Court, to quash Clause 2 of the crop insurance scheme, which makes crop insurance mandatory for farmers, besides seeking amendments to make the scheme more transparent and farmer-oriented. A Division Bench headed by Chief Justice R Subhash Reddy has asked the State government to furnish details on the status of PMFBY in three weeks. “Due to this clause, the insurance premium amount will be straight away deducted from the loan amount, without the knowledge of the farmers. They have no access to representatives of insurance companies either. We had presented these issues to the highest level at the Centre and in the Gujarat government. But there is no response. The provisions in the scheme are against the farmers. Insurance can’t be compulsory,” said Vitthal Dudhatara, President of BKS Gujarat.