DMK MLA Pitchandi shows such cheques in the Legislative Assembly; govt. admits to lapses in crop cover

Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly in Tamil Nadu M.K. Stalin on Wednesday alleged that farmers had received crop insurance cheques for as little as ₹3, ₹4, ₹5 and ₹10 in many parts of the State.

He raised the issue while his party MLA, K. Pitchandi, was participating in a debate on the State Budget. Mr. Pitchandi had brought a few such cheques to the House.

Mr. Pitchandi wondered what was the use of these cheques when it would cost a minimum of ₹500 for a farmer to open a bank account for the purpose of encashing these cheques.

Responding to the charges, several Ministers admitted that there were issues with the cheques.

Minister for Cooperation Sellur K. Raju said such complaints had been received from five farmers in Dindigul and another was reported from Nagapattinam. “The collectors have been directed to look into the issue and take appropriate action,” he said.

Agriculture Minister R. Doraikannu said the issue would be rectified soon. “Tamil Nadu is one of the top States in disbursal of crop insurance,” he added.

Clerical errors

O.S. Manian, Minister for Textiles, said there was shortage of staff and most of these issues had occurred due to clerical errors. “These mistakes have been found and will be rectified. The Secretary has held meetings with the lead bankers and insurance companies to address this issue. This issue is affecting only about 2-3% of farmers and will be rectified by April 15,” he added.