The havoc wrought by unseasonal floods, locust invasion and other natural calamities of which this country has had more than its share this year have not dampened the usual optimism of the Union Food Ministry. The states affected by natural calamities may not have yet been able to assess their losses, but the Union Food Ministry, through some strange occult process, has come to the conclusion that this year’s yield will be better than last year’s. The Deputy Food Minister, Shri Krishnappa has not disclosed on what basis his Ministry arrived at this flattering conclusion. While no one be grudges the Union Food Ministry’s right to its bright optimism, it is depressing to note that this Ministry has done nothing at all in the direction of affording protection to the rural community which suffers untold losses year after year due to the recurrence of calamities which are beyond their control. Against the backdrop of the travail of the cultivators, the Union Food Ministry’s failure to devise a crop insurance scheme is an instance of its indifference. It is not as if the ministry has not accepted it in principle. Besides, the ministry is already in possession of the details of a crop insurance scheme drawn up by the Punjab Government.
Initially, the Punjab scheme is restricted to six centres in six selected districts. In the areas covered by this scheme crop insurance would be made compulsory and premia would be recovered with the land revenue. The scheme would cover all risks to the two main crops, namely wheat and gram. The working of this insurance scheme, involving an expenditure of about Rs. 2 crores, would be reviewed at the end of three years and then extended to other areas. There is no reason why this scheme should not be tried on an experimental scale immediately. If there is any reason against it, the Union Food Ministry has not disclosed it. Considering the Food Ministry’s almost adolescent passion for collecting shoals of reports on subjects pertaining to food and agriculture and the manner in which it finally shelves them all away, it is quite likely that the crop insurance scheme too has been ‘filed’ away. There is no reason to believe that the Ministry will take any action in this direction in the forseeable future unless, of course, all the states insist on the introduction of the crop insurance scheme. Punjab has taken the initiative in presenting a scheme and it is now up to the rest of states
to follow it up.
(November, 17, 1960)
