Crop insurance scheme deadline extended to 5 Aug, applications to be accepted only in banks

Mumbai: The deadline for subscribing to the Union government’s crop insurance scheme has been extended to 5 August, Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Pandurang Fundkar said on Monday evening. “The last day to apply for the scheme was July 31. But a large number of farmers have not been able to apply. Now their applications will be accepted till August 5 at bank branches,” Fundkar said in a statement here. The applications will not be accepted at Common Service Centres (CSCs) but only at the banks, he said. [caption id=“attachment_3879515” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Reuters[/caption] Earlier in the day, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde (NCP) tabled an adjournment motion on the issue, saying if the deadline ended on Monday, over one crore farmers will be deprived of crop insurance. “There has been less rainfall in the Vidarbha and Marathwada regions this year. Farmers are in dire need of crop insurance. The government should extend the deadline by at least 15 days,” Munde said. Some other legislators made the same demand. Fundkar then told the House that he had spoken to his counterpart in the Centre, Radha Mohan Singh, and requested extension of the deadline by a fortnight. “He said he will take a positive decision soon,” Fundkar said. “If a decision is not taken by evening, the chief minister and I will meet the PM and request him to intervene,” he had said.