Bhubaneswar, Sept 19: The insurance companies are yet to settle dues of Odisha farmers amounting to Rs 446.52 crore under the Centre’s flagship core insurance scheme, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, for Kharif crop 2021.

The state agriculture department has raised concern over the non-release of farmers’ insurance claims by the companies.

A sub-committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of the agriculture director to address the pending insurance dues.

Besides, monitoring committees will work at district levels to settle insurance claims of the farmers under the scheme.

“The agriculture department has constituted a sub-committee to identify the beneficiaries and direct the insurance companies to resolve the claims. The sub-committee will speed up the damage reports and submit them within two weeks,” Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment Department principal secretary Dr Arabinda Kumar Padhee.

Farmers of Bargarh district are yet to get Rs 193.41 crore Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana for Kharif crop 2021, the highest in the state.

Similarly, farmers of Balangir will get Rs 156.21 crore and Sambalpur farmers will get Rs 47.44 crore.

Puri farmers have pending dues of Rs 17.67 crore, Rs 8.15 crore in Ganjam, and Rs 8.12 crore in Jagatsinghpur.