KPRS to stage protest on Nov. 20

District president of Karnataka Prantha Raita Sabgha Sharanabasappa Mamshetty addressing a press conference in Kalaburagi on Sunday.

The Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha (KPRS) has accused insurance companies of underestimating crop losses in Kalaburagi district and attempting to restrict compensation to 40% of the actual loss.

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, KPRS district president Sharanabasappa Mamshetty said that crops have been damaged across 5,55,032 hectares owing to drought. But, the extent of the loss is being under-reported in official records.

He said that insurance companies are considering only the initial stage of crop damage while ignoring losses during pod formation and the yield stage, leaving thousands of farmers without adequate compensation.

As many as 4.52 lakh farmers have enrolled under the crop insurance scheme and ₹67.87 crore has been collected as premium, he said. He demanded that compensation be calculated based on the actual extent of crop loss and the entire eligible amount be credited to farmers accounts.

Pointing to the mounting agrarian distress, he said that 22 farmers have been found dead in the district till June this year, while delays in insurance settlements have further aggravated farmers difficulties.

The KPRS, along with other farmers organisations, will stage a protest outside an insurance company’s office on November 20 if the authorities fail to resolve the issue by then, he said.