Chidambaram slams Centre's move to make crop insurance voluntary

The decision of Centre to make crop insurance voluntary faced backlash by Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday saying more cropped area needs to be brought under crop insurance and the decision will reduce coverage putting millions of farmers at risk.

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday termed as "retrograde" the decision of the Centre to make crop insurance voluntary and said there can be nothing more anti-farmer.

He said more cropped area needs to be brought under crop insurance and the decision will reduce coverage putting millions of farmers at risk.

• Another example of the BJP government’s shortsightedness and misplaced priorities.

  — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) February 20, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  Another example of the BJP government’s shortsightedness and misplaced priorities.

  — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) February 20, 2020

  ">

  Another example of the BJP government’s shortsightedness and misplaced priorities.

  — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) February 20, 2020

"Another example of the BJP government's shortsightedness and misplaced priorities," he charged.

"Nothing can be more anti-farmer than the central government's decision to reduce its contribution to the Crop Insurance Scheme," he said.

• What is required is to bring more cropped area under crop insurance. The new decisions will reduce the coverage putting millions of farmers at risk.

  — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) February 20, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  What is required is to bring more cropped area under crop insurance. The new decisions will reduce the coverage putting millions of farmers at risk.

  — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) February 20, 2020

  ">

  What is required is to bring more cropped area under crop insurance. The new decisions will reduce the coverage putting millions of farmers at risk.

  — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) February 20, 2020

The government on Wednesday made its flagship crop insurance schemes voluntary for farmers with existing crop loans or those willing to take new ones.

• Making crop insurance voluntary for loanee farmers is another retrograde step.

  — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) February 20, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  Making crop insurance voluntary for loanee farmers is another retrograde step.

  — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) February 20, 2020

  ">

  Making crop insurance voluntary for loanee farmers is another retrograde step.

  — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) February 20, 2020

In a series of tweets, Chidambaram said, "Making crop insurance voluntary for loanee farmers is another retrograde step".

• Nothing can be more anti-farmer than the central government’s decision to reduce its contribution to the Crop Insurance Scheme.

  — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) February 20, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  Nothing can be more anti-farmer than the central government’s decision to reduce its contribution to the Crop Insurance Scheme.

  — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) February 20, 2020

  ">

  Nothing can be more anti-farmer than the central government’s decision to reduce its contribution to the Crop Insurance Scheme.

  — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) February 20, 2020

"The new decisions will reduce the coverage putting millions of farmers at risk," the former finance minister added. (PTI)