Chandigarh, Sep 10 (PTI) The Haryana government would soon launch a toll free number for farmers where they can inform about damage caused to crops due to natural calamities, Agriculture Minister O P Dhankar said Monday.

Dhankar informed the state Assembly while replying to a question of INLD MLA Parminder Singh Dhull.

He said that farmers can can inform about damage caused to crops due to natural calamities such as hailstorms and water logging within 48 hours to the concerned Deputy Director Agriculture, Sub Divisional Officer (Civil) or Tehsildar, who would assess the situation and inform the insurance company.

Dhankar informed the House that during last three years, claims amounting to Rs 300 crore were received under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), of which the insurance companies provided compensation of about Rs 232 crore to 3 lakh farmers.

He said that the PMFBY is proving to be a boon for the farmers. The opposition has been misleading the farmers on crop insurance issue, he added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)