Centre extends crop insurance premium deadline in five MP districts

The Union government has agreed to give farmers in five districts of Madhya Pradesh time till September 7 to pay premium under the PM's crop insurance scheme, state agriculture minister Kamal Patel said on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, Patel had said he had written to the Centre on this issue.

"The Center has given its approval for extending the date for the payment of crop insurance premium under the Pradhanmantri Fasal Bima Yojna in Raisen, Sehore, Hoshangabad, Dewas and Harda districts," the minister told PTI.

He thanked Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar for a swift response.

Patel had written to Tomar on Wednesday, asking that farmers in 15 rain-affected districts of Madhya Pradesh be given more time to pay the premium.

He had also written letters on the issue to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and chairman and managing director of Agriculture Insurance Company India Limited M K Pottdar.

Due to heavy rains and floods, farmers in 15 districts of the state were unable to pay the premium in time, he had said, asking that the deadline be extended from August 31 to September 7.

Incessant rains and flooding were reported in Anuppur, Dindori, Mandla, Jabalpur, Narsinghpur, Harda, Hoshangabad, Dewas, Raisen, Sehore, Khandwa, Khargone, Dhar, Barwani and Alirajpur districts from August 28, he had pointed out.