As the new kharif season is set to begin, many farmers from Latur district claim they are still awaiting settlement of their crop insurance claims for the previous Kharif season. In a memorandum submitted to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, farmers highlighted that crops such as soybean, cotton, and pigeon pea (tur) suffered extensive damage in the district, and the requisite official assessment of damage, including crop cutting experiments, has already been completed.
Farmers' Grievances
Ramesh Patil, district vice president of the BJP Yuva Morcha, stated, “Around 700 crop cutting experiments were conducted across the district, and nearly 50 complaints regarding losses have been officially registered. Despite this, insurance companies continue to keep farmers’ claims pending by citing various technical reasons.” He added that strict directives must be issued to insurance companies to implement a special mechanism ensuring resolution of claim cases from Latur within a stipulated time frame. “The state government must intervene to avoid further delays,” Patil urged.
Official Response
Agricultural Superintendent for Latur, Rajendra Kadam, said that necessary evaluation for 47 out of 60 circles has been completed so far. “Only one circle has been found eligible for crop insurance scheme benefits, and compensation worth over Rs 9 crore is being disbursed. Farmers from the remaining 46 circles will not get compensation as the areas have better yield than the past average,” he explained. Regarding alleged procedural delays, Kadam asserted that a uniform process is followed for claim settlement across the state, and Latur is no exception.
Earlier Rejections
Previously, around 11,200 farmers from Latur district were declared ineligible for the Kharif season of 2024-2025, sparking anger. Authorities stated that insurance companies had cited 11 different reasons for rejection of claims. The farmers now demand swift action to resolve their pending claims before the onset of the new season.
