Gandhinagar, Mar 10 (IANS): The Gujarat government informed the state assembly on Wednesday that it will pay over Rs 1600 crore as premium to the insurance companies for crop insurance for the two-calendar year period of 2019 and 2020. During the same period, the insurance companies paid the farmers under Rs 150 crore against crop failure claims.

Junagadh MLA Bhikhabhai Joshi had asked in a written question to the agriculture minister, as to how much was the premium paid to various insurance companies under the Pradhan Mantri Bima Fasal scheme for the two years till December 31, 2020. Out of that how many claims by the farmers were settled and how much money was paid to them.

In reply, Agriculture Minister RC Faldu said that over Rs 1600 cr is to be paid as premium for crop insurance for the two year period till December 31, 2020. The maximum premium of Rs 620,45,78,663 will be paid to the Reliance General Insurance Limited, Rs 396,93,31,438 to be paid to Universal Sompo General Insurance Company Limited, Rs. 356,62,57,808 to be paid to Agriculture Insurance Company of India, Rs 208,97,22,218 to be paid to Bhatti Aksha General Insurance Company Limited, Rs 19,19,95,444 to be paid to Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Limited and Rs 5,43,91,884 to be paid to United India insurance Company Limited.

The Minister also informed that less than Rs 150 cr was paid by the insurance companies against the claims made by the farmers. Out of this, a total of Rs 37,78,45,409 was paid for the Rabi season crops in 2018-19, Rs 111,52,15,275 was paid for the Kharif crop claims in 2019 and Rs 10,20,820 for farmers claims for the Rabi season 2019-2020. Thereafter the Pradhan Mantri crop insurance scheme had been stopped. A total of 23,707 farmers benefited in Rabi 2018-19, 91,606 farmers in Kharif 2019 and 209 farmers benefited in season 2019 -20.

The Congress however alleged that the farmers of the state have not benefited from the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana nor benefited from the Mukhymantri Kisan Sahay Yojana.