Sharmili Mallick

Bargarh: Hundreds of farmers in Bhatli block of Bargarh district were deprived of crop insurance allegedly due to the lackadaisical attitude of the bank authorities.

According to reports, many farmers of the block suffered crop loss in 2017. However, at least 289 farmers of 15 villages under Bhatli are yet to receive insurance compensation under the Prime Minister Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) due to the apathy of the concerned bank manager.

The matter came to fore after the distressed farmers intimated the matter to the district Collector following which an investigation has been initiated.

A farmer, Rabindra Kumar Panda alleged “The concerned bank authorities told us that as we have not linked our aadhaar cards with the bank account which is the reason behind the delay. However, ensuring aadhaar card is linked to the bank account is the responsibility of the bank. Therefore, the bank should be made accountable for dereliction of duty.”

“The DRCS and lead bank manager were directed to carry out an investigation after receiving the complaint. A letter has been written to the concerned bank and they have been asked to sanction the claims so that the beneficiaries do not suffer due to the negligence of the bank,” informed Bargarh Collector, Indramani Tripathy.

On the other hand, the concerned bank manager is yet to comment on the allegations.

scrollToTop