Telangana approves Rs 5 lakh insurance cover to farmers
Hyderabad, May 27: The Telangana government on Sunday decided to provide insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh to farmers in the state.
The state cabinet, in a meeting presided by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, approved the scheme of life insurance to farmers through Life Insurance Corporation of India.
The government will pay premium amount of Rs 2,271 per farmer per year and in case of the insured farmer's accidental or natural death, the nominee will be paid Rs 5 lakh.
All farmers between the ages group of 18 to 60 years will be eligible for the scheme.
According to an official statement, the total budgetary provision for this scheme will be Rs 1,000 crore. Premium for all will be paid by August 1 every year.
The scheme will be formally announced on June 2, the state formation day while it will be formally launched on August 15 by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. He will distribute certificate of insurance among some farmers formally. Later, MLAs will continue distribution of certificates in their respective constituencies.
The government said though the premium amount is higher, it has gone for life insurance to infuse self-confidence among farmers.
The announcement came close on the heels of the launch of crop investment support scheme in the state.
Under the scheme launched on May 10, farmers will get Rs 8,000 per acre each every year as crop investment support.
The government plans to spend Rs 12,000 crore every year under this scheme, benefiting 58 lakh farmers. The financial assistance will be for two crops each year.
The state cabinet also approved the proposal to create seven zones and two multizones for appointment and transfers of government employees.
After the cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister left for New Delhi to meet President Ram Nath Kovind to request him to revise the earlier Presidential orders with regard to the zones.
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Wine Merchants’ Association alleges corruption in excise dept, Minister Thimmapur refutes charge
Bengaluru, Nov 5: The Karnataka Wine Merchants’ Association has alleged that the Excise Minister R B Thimmapur’s office has collected Rs 16 crore from various excise department officers by transferring them in and around Bengaluru.
While the Minister refuted the allegation, the opposition BJP got new ammunition to target the ruling Congress.
In a letter to the Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, Chief Secretary and the Karnataka Lokayukta, the Association alleged that the Minister's office is involved in rampant corruption.
“Huge bribes and money laundering took place in the excise minister office in Bengaluru in transferring excise officers and to control illegal collection of money for election purposes from excise officials,” the letter sent by mail read.
Explaining further, the Association said about Rs 16 crore has been collected on a single day from three deputy commissioners of excise, nine excise superintendents, 13 deputy superintendents of excise and 20 excise inspectors “for transferring in and around Bengaluru from past 2 to 3.5 years, as their tenure was getting completed within a month.”
Naming a deputy commissioner, the letter said the officer was collecting money somewhere between Rs 25 lakh to Rs 40 lakh from each officer for transferring them.
The Association said Rs 2.5 crore to Rs three crore was collected from deputy commissioners (excise) working in Bengaluru.
The association has demanded action against those involved "in this corruption."
“No such thing has happened. You must ask them why they went to pay money. Why would anyone pay if everything is correct?” Thimmapur told reporters at Shiggaon in Haveri district.
He also assured to take action against officers if they have collected money.
“The matter is that when these people (wine merchants) do something wrong then they (officers) harass them. The wine merchants should rectify themselves,” the Minister said.
The Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, R Ashoka alleged that there was a Rs 700 crore liquor scam in the state.
“The Karnataka Wine Merchants’ Association in its letter to CM @Siddaramaiah has alleged that State Excise Minister R B Timmapur is involved in blatant extortion and bribery, unfolding another dark episode of the series of scams by 'SCAM'gress Govt in Karnataka,” he said in a post on ‘X’.
He said the Association has alleged that CL7 bar licences were given after collecting a bribe amount of anywhere between Rs 30 lakh to Rs 70 lakh each by the Minister.
In the last one year, 1,000 such illegal licences were given by the excise minister, amounting to Rs 300 crore to Rs 700 crore in corruption, Ashoka alleged.
“After the Maharshi Valmiki ST Development Corporation Scam, MUDA land scam, KIADB land scam, Waqf Scam, this Liquor scam is yet another fresh addition to the series of scams by CM Siddaramaiah led Congress Government in the last 17 months,” the BJP leader alleged.
