State to enroll farmers in insurance scheme by Sept 30
Kolkata: The state Agriculture department will ensure that the maximum possible affected Gram Panchayats in the state are brought under the Bangla Shasya Bima Scheme (BSB) immediately in the backdrop of the flood-like situation in several districts of south Bengal causing a lot of damage to crops.
“Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has instructed us to ensure that BSB is extended to every single farmer who has suffered losses due to the recent flood.
Farmers who have been affected by the recent flood are to be enrolled by the Insurance Company under BSB in the camp mode for paddy within September 30,” said Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, state Agriculture minister after stock-taking of damage to crops on Friday through a meeting with senior officials of his department.
According to sources in the Agriculture department as many areas in districts like Howrah, Hooghly, East Burdwan, West Burdwan, Birbhum Bankura East Midnapore and West Midnapore are still inundated the assessment of the exact extent of damage will take some more time.
The department has issued instructions for collecting photographic/videographic evidence of damage to flood-affected areas and ensure ground truthing and submit reports to District Level Monitoring Committee on regular basis for assessment of claim compensation.
The districts have been requested to submit additional quantity of mustard, toria and pulses for Rabi as an alternate to damaged paddy in flood-affected districts.
All these items should reach the affected districts within October 15, well before the cut-off for the sowing of Rabi crops.
Officers have been asked to make damage assessment and report to District Magistrates once water recedes.
