V. LAKSHMI KUMARI Vs. STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This writ petition, under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, is filed seeking the following relief's:

(2.) Heard learned counsel for the petitioners and learned Assistant Government Pleaders for Agriculture and Finance and Planning appearing for the respondents.

(3.) The petitioners claims to be the cultivators of their respective lands by raising BT cotton and registered their names in the e-crop digital crop booking for payment of crop insurance for crop damage for Kharif season 2020 as per the guidelines issued in G.O.Ms. No. 79 dtd. 8/10/2020 issued by the 1st respondent Government. The State Government implemented Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and restructured weather based crop insurance scheme during Kharif 2020 and also made applicable to the lands owned as owners. The Kharif 2020 guidelines issued vide G.O.Ms. No. 79, dtd. 8/10/2020 clearly envisages that the scheme is applicable to the actual cultivators recorded under e-crop. Earlier, under PMFBY, any owner who availed crop loan through bank is automatically enrolled under crop insurance scheme as loanee farmer. The others at their option can enroll into the scheme as non loanee farmers within the stipulated time. Since the loan was availed by the owner, covering the land under crop insurance, the actual cultivator/tenant farmer who incurred cost of inputs etc., is not having much access to the crop insurance. With a view to reduce financial burden on the farmers and to improve coverage of area under crop insurance, the State Government implemented Dr. YSR free crop insurance scheme as 100% State Government scheme during Kharif 2020, making all the cultivators growing notified crops in the notified areas eligible for coverage without any separate registration. The State Government formulated free crop insurance scheme keeping the welfare of cultivators in mind and made applicable to all cultivators who are actually cultivating the notified crops in the notified areas based on e-crop registration. During Kharif 2020, the State Government shouldered entire claim liability without any contribution either from the farmer or from the Government of India.