HYDERABAD: Unseasonal rains and hailstorms have caused huge loss to crops in Telangana. Around 1.10 lakh acres of crops have been damaged in 20 districts as per the assessment done by the agriculture department. The major crops affected were paddy, maize and mango. Khammam, Siddipet and Nalgonda districts remain the worst affected. However, a majority of the farmers is not eligible to claim crop insurance, thanks to negligence of banks in disbursing the crop loans on time. While the banks are supposed to disburse loans by December, as per the insurance norms, farmers got loans between January and March making them ineligible to claim insurance. Farmers are now looking towards the state government for help.
As per the Centre’s norms, the insurance firms give coverage for only the crops for rabi season for which loans were disbursed between October and December.
However, less than two lakh farmers out of total 30 lakh farmers in the state got rabi crop loans on time and insurance premium was deducted from them while disbursing the loans. Banks were given a target to the extend of Rs 15,000 crore as crop loans for rabi. But, less than Rs 3,500 crore loans were given within the December deadline. Though another Rs 5,000 crore loans were given between January and March this year, they are not covered under insurance as per norms.
