Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that the deadline for enrolment of farmers under the new crop insurance scheme is extended by a month. Currently, the last date for registration is November 30, an official in the Agriculture Department said.
The request for the extension of the deadline was made in the wake of the devastation caused by Cyclone Gaja in many districts of the State.
Both the farmers looking to enrol and the officials entrusted with the task of getting the agriculturists covered have been hit by the cyclone. While the farmers are yet to reconcile themselves with the havoc caused by the cyclone, the officials have had to turn their attention to the immediate task of providing relief and ensuring the restoration of normalcy.
In the meantime, the Tamil Nadu Agriculture Department has permitted Assistant Agricultural Officers to issue sowing certificates — a pre-requisite for insurance policy enrolment — to both loanee and non-loanee farmers. Originally, Village Administrative Officers (VAOs) were tasked with issuing the certificates. But they are now being deployed for restoration work, making it difficult for the farmers to get the documents.
Letter to stakeholders
Principal Secretary (Agriculture) Gagandeep Singh Bedi has written to District Collectors and officers in charge of cooperative societies, banks and agricultural insurance companies, seeking their cooperation in facilitating hassle-free enrolment of farmers raising crops in the samba cultivation season before the cut-off date.
This assumes importance as the samba season is the main season for cultivation in Tamil Nadu.
