Mangaluru: District Congress Committee president Padmaraj R Poojary on Wednesday defended the state govt over crop insurance payouts under the Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS), accusing local BJP functionaries of misleading farmers due to their alleged lack of understanding of the scheme.Addressing reporters, Poojary countered allegations by Belthangady BJP MLA Harish Poonja, who had blamed the Congress govt for reduced insurance compensation to growers. He termed the BJP’s allegations baseless, stating that payouts were determined by scientific parameters and predetermined conditions specified in the scheme’s term sheets, rather than the discretion of the state govt.“It is our misfortune that an elected representative lacks even the basic knowledge of where, whom, and when to criticise,” Poojary said, taking a dig at MLA Harish Poonja.Explaining the premium-sharing arrangement for arecanut, Poojary said the total premium is 35%, of which farmers contribute 5%, the Union govt 10% and the Karnataka govt the remaining 20%.He clarified that compensation under RWBCIS is calculated based on weather indices recorded by automated weather stations operated by the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC). The scheme does not assess claims based on the visible extent of crop disease or localised yield losses, he said.
