Is crop insurance scheme big scam, asks Thackeray after interacting with farmers

Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday attacked the Eknath Shinde government and wondered if the crop insurance scheme was a big scam because firms had been paid several crore rupees as premium but farmers were not getting benefits reported news agency PTISeveral parts of the state received unseasonal rains recently leading to extensive damage to crops and distress to farmersTalking to reporters after meeting farmers in Hingoli district Uddhav Thackeray said the state government must waive farm loans the way he did when he was CM between 2019 and 2022 reported PTII wonder if the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana is a big scam Uddhav Thackeray said reported PTIHe said after the state government announced crop insurance for farmers for just Re 1 while their premium would be paid by farmers the number of farmers in the state insuring their crops rose from 90 lakh to 175 crore reported PTIThe state government has paid farmers share of Rs 8000 crore In whose pocket did the money go through these insurance companies This is taxpayers money he askedInsurance company offices are shut they dont answer phone calls they dont listen to the government or face farmers he alleged reported PTIUddhav Thackeray sought to know to what extent the claims of farmers had been cleared by insurance companiesEarlier Shiv Sena UBT leader Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday hit out at Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde over his visit to neighbouring Telangana for poll campaigning while farmers in his home state suffered crop losses due to unseasonal rainsReacting to the criticism Shinde said the state government has taken cognisance of the losses and those who ran the government through Facebook Live should not preach to othersSpeaking at a news conference Thackeray demanded that a cabinet meeting be held immediately to discuss crop losses due to the rains in the last fourfive days and farmers be given assistance at the earliestSix people lost lives due to rainrelated incidents while 100 cattle also perished the former chief minister saidGrape growers and onion farmers in particular were hit hard he said asking what did the state cabinet do after the weather department gave an advance warning of unseasonal showersPreliminary information suggested that crops over nearly one lakh hectares in Marathwada Vidarbha and north Maharashtra were affected Thackeray saidThere is no government in Maharashtra as everyone is busy campaigning It is time to change the government the Sena UBT chief addedA person who does not bother about his own house and goes to another state to campaign for another party is not fit to run a government and he has no right to be in power he addedWith inputs from PTI