Bhopal : August 29, 2020. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Friday announced the release of crop insurance claims worth Rs 4,500 crore for 19 lakh farmers whose fields were damaged by heavy rains last year. Chouhan made the announcement while visiting Khategaon area in Dewas district, which has been significantly affected by heavy rainfall over the last two weeks.
The Chief Minister met farmers and assessed the extent of the damage, particularly to soyabean crops.
Madhya Pradesh is the country’s biggest producer of the oilseed.
In his first visit to the region, Chouhan assured all help to farmers. “If the farmers are worried, Shivraj Singh Chouhan cannot sit quietly. The reports of such damage to the crops have only started coming in since the last three to four days.”
Encouraging farmers to insure their crops, he also extended the deadline of PM Fasal Bima Yojana to August 31.
The Soybean Oil Processors Association recently estimated a 10-12 per cent hit to the oilseed’s output due to the rains, which have also affected Indore, Ujjain, Dhar, Shajapur, Neemuch, Mandsaur, Harda and Sehor districts.
State Congress President Kamal Nath, a day earlier, had constituted a team of five Congress leaders to visit Datia to assess crop damage. Nath was to submit a report to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking for a relief package.
