Connect with us

National

Lack of states’ cooperation affecting crop insurance scheme: Minister

Published

on

New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS) Implementation of the NDA government’s ambitious crop insurance scheme — the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) — is facing difficulties due to lack of cooperation from the states, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Wednesday.

“Lack of cooperation from states is posing a huge challenge… it was conceived by the government to provide comprehensive agricultural insurance in the country. The states must come on board for ironing out the glitches in the scheme’s implementation, since agriculture is a state subject,” the Minister of State for Agriculture said after inaugurating a national conference on ‘Accelerating Agriculture Insurance.

The event was organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry here.

The PMFBY was launched in 2016, in which the premium paid by farmers was reduced to 1.5 per cent for Rabi, 2 per cent for Kharif and 5 per cent for commercial crops.

In the conference, Agriculture Ministry Joint Secretary Ashish Kumar Bhutani said the PMFBY had resulted in a 74 per cent increase in insurance money in 2016-17 and coverage under the scheme had risen to 50 per cent of the gross cropped area though a number of challenges still remained in its implementation.

“Many states were unable to conduct crop cutting experiments; there was lack of data on the insured that jacked up premium and put pressure on central and state resources; and there was delay in release of subsidy by states,” he said.

It was imperative to evolve a focused and structured dispute resolution mechanism in this regard, he added.

A new portal will be operational within a week to act as a platform for addressing all relevant issues, including processing of claims and delay in the provision of subsidy by the states, Bhutani said.

An official statement quoted Shekhawat as advising Ficci to conduct brainstorming sessions on the subject in states and suggest ways “to bring laggard states on par with good performers to ensure realisation of full potential benefits of the scheme.

–IANS
spk/tsb/bg

Continue Reading

National

Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok

Published

on

By

Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.

The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.

Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.

Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.

For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.

During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.

Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.

Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .

Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.

In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.

In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.

He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.

Continue Reading

Trending