Shiv Sena to protest against insurance companies

Mumbai: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has admitted the prevalence of deficiencies in the government machinery while providing crop insurance and loan waiver to state farmers.

The Sena has decided to lead a protest march against insurance companies on July 17, in order to expedite clearing of the premium claims of farmers.

“Although the government has changed, the system has remained the same in the last five years. This has created problems in farmers getting their crop insurance premiums. As protest, the party will organise a march on July 17 against insurance companies,” said Mr Thackeray.

Mr Thackeray said this would serve as warning for other insurance companies too. “If they fail to provide insurance claims to farmers, we will teach them a lesson Sena-style,” he added.

During his recent tour to drought-affected areas of the state, the Sena chief threatened to shut down the offices of insurance companies if they failed to provide crop insurance to farmers.

Despite this, several insurance companies were still found lagging in reimbursing the insurance claims, Mr Thackeray said.

According to Sena sources, the march, to be held at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), will be taken out against Bharti Axa General Insurance Company.

The company is a joint venture between Bharti Enterprises and AXA business Group.

“We also demand an independent Agriculture Commission with powers to deal with agriculture-related issues. The commission should be empowered to rectify loopholes in various schemes meant for the agriculture sector, since governments come and go but the official machinery remains the same,” said Mr Thackeray.

He also demanded that banks publish the names of farmers whose loans had been waived under the scheme for the same.