Chandrapur: Former minister and BJP MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar has urged chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and agriculture minister Dattatray Bharane to intervene after Chandrapur farmers were allegedly charged significantly higher crop insurance premiums than those in neighbouring districts for the 2026 kharif season under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).In separate letters to the two ministers, Mungantiwar said the premium rates notified on July 3 impose an unfair financial burden on farmers despite Chandrapur sharing similar climatic conditions, rainfall, soil profile and cropping patterns with adjoining districts such as Gadchiroli, Gondia, Bhandara, Nagpur and Wardha.He pointed to sharp disparities in premium rates. Paddy farmers in Chandrapur have to pay Rs 1,300 per hectare, compared with Rs 512 in Gadchiroli, Rs 575 in Bhandara, Rs 60 in Gondia and Rs 65 in Nagpur. Cotton growers in Chandrapur are also required to pay Rs 1,300 per hectare, against Rs 590 in Gadchiroli and Rs 65 in both Nagpur and Wardha. For soyabean, the premium is Rs 1,250 per hectare in Chandrapur, compared with Rs 65 in Wardha.Mungantiwar said the higher premiums come at a time when farmers have already incurred substantial expenditure on seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, labour and irrigation. He warned that the steep premiums could discourage farmers from enrolling in the PMFBY, leaving them vulnerable to losses caused by floods, drought, excessive rainfall, pest attacks and crop diseases. If farmers are forced to stay away from the scheme because of the high premium, the very objective of the PMFBY would be defeated, he said.He demanded an immediate review of the premium rates for Chandrapur, a joint meeting of the agriculture department and the insurance company to resolve the issue, and an extension of the premium payment deadline until revised rates are notified.
