Criticising the Narendra Modi government over the decision to slash its share of the premium subsidy from the current 50 per cent to just 25 per cent to its flagship crop insurance scheme, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), the Congress on Thursday said that former 'launched another attack on country's farmers'.
Addressing mediapersons at AICC headquarters, party's communication in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala said that Modi government secretly cut the premium amount given by the Central Government by 100 per cent in the PMFBY and Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme.
So far in PMFBY, farmers' share in insurance was 2 per cent and centre and state government's share was 50 ? 50 per cent.
Mr Surjewala, however, said that "Cabinet issued a Tughlaqi farmaan that they would give only 25 per cent of the amount. Now the farmer will have to give 27 per cent (2 per cent 25 per cent)".
"It is clear that the farmer will not be able to fill the 27 per cent insurance premium amount and will not be able to insure the crop. There will be no insurance and no crop protection", he charged.
Referring to Prime Minister's earlier speech, the Congress spokesperson asked, "when Mr Modi called 12 per cent premium as loot, what will the 27 per cent insurance premium be called?"
"What happened to the Prime Minister's promise to impose a cap of 2 per cent on the premium? Who will force state governments to give 50 per cent when the BJP government is not paying its share of the premium amount? If they cut the premium amount by 25 per cent, then it will be 52 per cent for the farmer, which will be impossible for the farmer to pay", he added.
He said that the Modi government's own figures also show that in three years insurance companies took a premium of Rs 77,801 crore from the PMFBY and made a profit of Rs.19,202 crore.
"It is clear that PMFBY proved to be a profit making scheme for private insurance companies. Instead of fixing it, the Modi government shifted the burden of insurance premium on the farmers", he alleged.
He asked who will take responsibility that state governments won't cut their share of insurance premium on the lines of Modi government?
"What is the reason that state governments decided to discontinue PMFBY due to delay in insurance premium amount?", he asked.
The Union Cabinet, on Wednesday, had also decided that the enrolment in the two schemes be voluntary for all farmers.
The PMFBY was launched in 2016 and it was mandatory for all farmers with agricultural crop loans to enroll for insurance cover under this scheme.