Nashik: Sanjay Chavan Urges State To Reinstate Re 1 Crop Insurance Scheme, Warns Of Agitation

Nashik: With inadequate rainfall threatening the ongoing kharif season and poor market prices for cash crops pushing farmers into financial distress, former Baglan MLA Sanjay Chavan has urged the Maharashtra government to immediately restore the Re 1 Crop Insurance Scheme. He warned that a statewide agitation would be launched if the scheme is not reinstated without delay.

Chavan submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde, and Agriculture Minister Datta Bharane, highlighting the hardships faced by farmers across the state.

In his memorandum, Chavan stated that many parts of Maharashtra have yet to receive adequate rainfall, putting thousands of hectares of kharif crops at risk. Farmers who borrowed money to purchase expensive seeds, fertilisers and pesticides are now facing the possibility of re-sowing, adding to their financial burden. At the same time, low prices for crops such as onions, cotton and soybeans have left farmers unable to recover even their production costs, making agriculture increasingly unviable.

Chavan also alleged that since the Re 1 Crop Insurance Scheme was discontinued last year, farmers have been forced to pay an additional 2–5 per cent insurance premium. He claimed that despite paying higher premiums, many insurance companies reject claims on technical grounds after crop losses, leaving farmers financially devastated while insurers continue to profit.
He therefore demanded that the Maharashtra government restore the Re 1 Crop Insurance Scheme immediately and without any conditions to provide much-needed relief to farmers.