By IANS
Kozhikode : A Kerala government scheme to provide free insurance to more than 500,000 small farmers with landholdings of less than two hectares has elicited a good response, officials say.
Under the scheme, the dependants of farmers will get up to Rs.100,000 in the event of loss of limb of the farmer or death due to accident.
Registration for the scheme, named Kisan Sree, started Monday and will close Feb 14. Farmers in the age group of 17 to 70 will be covered by the scheme with the government paying the premium.
“We have received a very good response to the insurance scheme,” said Cherian Thomas, agriculture deputy director, in charge of the insurance programme in Kozhikode.
The scheme is being implemented through the Krishi Bhavans, or panchayat-level agriculture offices.
“Already, many of the Krishi Bhavans in Kozhikode district have exceeded the target. For the district we were given a target of 40,000. We are providing the insurance on a first-come, first-serve basis.”
The government is implementing the scheme in association with a consortium formed by National Insurance Company, Oriental Insurance Company and the United India Insurance Company.
“Under each Krishi Bhavan, 500 farmers will benefit from the scheme. There are 1,049 Krishi Bhavans in the state and more than 500,000 small farmers will benefit from the programme,” said an official at the agriculture directorate in state capital Thiruvananthapuram.