Give Wide Publicity To Crop Insurance Scheme Under PMFBY For Farmers' Benefit : Karnataka High Court

A division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Suraj Govindaraj said "Clause no 26 of the scheme itself mentions about giving adequate publicity and awareness. We direct the state government to give wide publicity to crop insurance scheme and to the fact that any farmer if is deprived of the said scheme he has the right to approach the committee. Steps shall be taken to give wide publicity in terms of clause 26, about the availability of crop insurance scheme."

The bench also directed the district committee of Shahapur Taluk (Yadgir district) to consider the representation made by the petitioner Akhanda Karnataka Raitha Sangh. It said "We find that no inquiry made in the village to ascertain whether there are any families of farmers who have been denied benefit of crop insurance scheme."

It added "The committee must remember that due to illiteracy, poverty or otherwise individual farmers may not be able to submit their applications.we therefore direct the district committee at yadgir to consider representation made by petitioner."

As regards the earlier direction ofthe court directing the Chief Secretary to make a clear stand whether families of the farmers who killed themselves after borrowing from private money lenders will be excluded from government assistance of Rs 5 lakhs, the government advocate sought time to file the affidavit. Accordingly the court adjourned the hearing to April 21.