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Chidambaram Slams Centre’s Move To Make Crop Insurance Voluntary

Chidambaram named the Centre’s decree of making crop insurance voluntary ‘retrograde’ adding there can be nothing more anti-farmer

A farmer works in a millet field while a cow stands tethered on the outskirts of Bengaluru, India. Photographer: Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg
A farmer works in a millet field while a cow stands tethered on the outskirts of Bengaluru, India. Photographer: Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday termed the decision of the Centre to make crop insurance voluntary as ‘retrograde’ and said there can be nothing more anti-farmer.

He said more cropped area needs to be brought under crop insurance and the decision will reduce coverage putting millions of farmers at risk.

Another example of the BJP government’s shortsightedness and misplaced priorities
P Chidambaram, Former Finance Minister

“Nothing can be more anti-farmer than the central government's decision to reduce its contribution to the Crop Insurance Scheme,” he added.

In a series of tweets, Chidambaram also said, “Making crop insurance voluntary for loanee farmers is another retrograde step.”

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“The new decisions will reduce the coverage putting millions of farmers at risk,” the former Finance Minister added.

The government on Wednesday made its flagship crop insurance schemes voluntary for farmers with existing crop loans or those willing to take new ones.